Extraction and optimization of Austrocylindropuntia subulata powder as a novel green coagulant

Abstract

Since the last decades, water stress challenges caused by climate change have posed a significant concern for the treatment and re-use of treated wastewater. Conventional treatment methods employ chemicals as coagulants-flocculants, which pose a serious threat. Hence, it has led to a gradual increase in the use of natural plants as promising safe alternatives. In the present work, the Austrocylindropuntia subulata plant was used for the first time as a coagulant-flocculant for wastewater treatment. The raw chlorenchyma powder of the plant was characterized by SEM, FTIR, and EDX, the results showed a very strong resemblance with the composition of the Opuntia ficus indica. The biocoagulant-flocculant was obtained by simple extraction using distilled water. An optimization dose test demonstrated that a mass of 0.1 g decreases approximately 99% of turbidity. After a year of storage, the raw powder retained the same efficiency. The extract's coagulant-flocculant properties remained stable after three months of storage, but it developed an unpleasant odor and a brownish color due to microbial oxidation of organic components.