European Scientific Journal August 2013 edition vol.9, No.24 ISSN: 1857 – 7881 (Print) e - ISSN 1857- 7431 214 USE OF MORINGA OLEIFERA (LAM.) SEED POWDER AS A COAGULANT FOR PURIFICATION OF WATER FROM UNPROTECTED SOURCES IN NIGERIA Adejumo, Mumuni, MPH Oloruntoba, Elizabeth.O, PhD Sridhar, Mynepalli. K. C, PhD Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria Abstract This study evaluated the effectiveness of Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera ) seed powder (MOSP) alone and in combination with household sand filter (MOSP+F) in water purification. Treatment with MOSP+F produced 99.97% reduction in E. coli compared with 98.16% reduction obtained from MOSP treatment alone. Water treatment with M. oleifera seed powder in combination with household sand filter was found to be more effective for water purification than treatment with Moringa seed powder alone. This method should be encouraged in communities without safe water supply. Keywords: Eschericia coli, Household sand filter, Moringa oleifera, Turbidity, Water treatment Introduction Water is essential for human life. Potable water should be free from contaminants. Children bear the greatest health burden associated with unsafe water supplies through preventable diseases like diarrhoea. In developing countries about 2 million people die every year due to diarrhoeal disease; most are children of less than 5 years of age (WHO, 2006). Other water related diseases reported in Nigeria are trachoma, schistosomiasis, ascariasis, trichuriasis, ancylostomiasis (hookworm), malaria and encephalitis (Sridhar and Oloruntoba, 2008).. Unprotected water sources receive pollutants from surface runoff thus necessitating treatment at the household level. The common methods of household water treatment require coagulation / flocculation followed by