Sustainable sewage water treatment based on natural plant coagulant: Moringa oleifera

Abstract

In response to global water scarcity and environmental degradation, one promising technique in natural plant coagulation that has gained attention in recent years is the use of Moringa oleifera a plant native to the Indian subcontinent. This study investigates the potential of Moringa oleifera as a sustainable solution for sewage water treatment. The problem of effective wastewater treatment was addressed by employing Moringa oleifera as a natural plant coagulant (NPC). The methodology involved the use of a jar test as a qualitative technique in coagulation and flocculation to assess the plant’s effectiveness in reducing turbidity and impurities in sewage water. The physical and chemical parameters of raw and treated water were analyzed, revealing that an optimum dose of 0.4 g/1000 mL resulted in significant reductions in various water quality parameters: turbidity by 92%, COD by 88%, total solids by 96%, chloride by 75%, total hardness by 74%, and inorganic phosphorous by 68%. The specific reduction in BOD was not provided, indicating a need for further investigation. The results suggest that Moringa oleifera could offer significant improvements in water quality and societal health while promoting sustainability and environmental harmony. The study concludes that Moringa oleifera presents a promising green technique for sustainable sewage water treatment, with implications for future research focusing on the scalability of this method and its effectiveness in treating different types of wastewater.