Natural Coagulant Research Articles

Aloe vera mucilage as a sustainable biopolymer flocculant for efficient arsenate anion removal from water

In recent years, utilization of biopolymers as natural coagulant–flocculant systems has become an area of interest, due to their sustainable nature and potential utility as alternative systems for synthetic flocculants.

Effects of natural coagulant in the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater

Effects of natural coagulant in the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater

Potential of ash from agricultural waste as substitute of commercial FeCl3 in primary treatment of landfill leachate

Due to the ever increasing global population, higher volumes of industrial waste discharges to landfill have caused major problems for the environment. This study investigated the performance of rice straw ash (RSA) as a natural coagulant under different conditions for the treatment of landfill leachates by coagulation-flocculation and microfiltration, with and without addition of FeCl3. The highest performing treatment conditions (RSA = 2.48 g/L, FeCl3 = 4.98 g/L, settling time = 54.75min) were achieved with the combined use of RSA and FeCl3 as coagulant and led to a sludge volume index of 41.65 mL/g, 51.27% COD removal and 76.48% total suspended solid removal. In contrast, FeCl3 alone achieved slightly better COD and total suspended solid removal rates, however it resulted in higher sludge volume index and sludge production. The combined use of RSA and FeCl3 reduced the consumption of these two coagulants by 78.76% and 46.69% respectively. Functional groups and thermal stability of the flocs showed that RSA + FeCl3 synergistically enhance the mechanisms of the coagulation-flocculation process, including adsorption by particle's bridging, charge neutralization and size of flocs. Combining the coagulants resulted in increased van der Waals forces and lower attractive forces of the inter-colloidal energy barrier in the leachate. Additionally, the highest and lowest heavy metals removal rates for treatment by microfiltration were found for Fe (92.15%) and Mg (7.63%), with a total heavy metals removal efficiency in the range of 6.08–90.78%. The findings of this study show that RSA can serve as a natural eco-friendly coagulant both alone and in combination with FeCl3 in the leachate treatment.

Tofu Wastewater Treatment Using Biocoagulant Moringa Seed Powder (Moringa Oleifera L)

Indonesia has various types of vegetation which are used as natural coagulants or biocoagulants. Coagulants can be divided into chemical coagulants and natural coagulants (biocoagulants). Biocoagulants are more environmentally friendly and can be obtained from natural ingredients, both animals and plants, one of which is Moringa seeds. Moringa seeds or with the Latin name Moringa oleifera are a type of plant from the Moringaceae family. From several previous studies, Moringa seeds were used as a more economical and environmentally friendly wastewater treatment method. Moringa seed biocoagulant in powder form is made from ripe and old moringa seeds and contains less than 10% water. Moringa seed biocoagulant contains 4αL-rhamnosyloxy-benzylisothiocyanate and is a determinant of coagulation effectiveness. This active substance is able to absorb pollutants in waste water. This research aims to treat tofu waste with moringa seed biocoagulant in reducing pollutant parameters, namely TSS (Total Suspended Solid) and COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand). Results of the removal of pollutants from moringa seed powder biocoagulant in tofu waste water the efficiency value obtained for each TSS parameter, and the COD for the TSS parameter is 54.4%. and for the COD parameter of 14.6%, it can be concluded that the efficiency value for each parameter still does not meet the effectiveness value.

The use of central composite design (CCD) to optimize and model the coagulation-flocculation process using a natural coagulant: Application in jar test and semi-industrial scale

Currently, the field of water treatment represents a very important area for researchers due to developing reliable processes for the recycling and reuse of water. Plant-based coagulants used in treatment processes are cost-effective and environmentally friendly. In this study, the use of bio-coagulants based on Aloe vera was proposed for the treatment of the wastewater. The response surface method based on the central composite design was applied to optimize the considered parameters in the coagulation flocculation process. All experiments were conducted in laboratory and semi-industrial scale using a raw water with an initial turbidity and total suspended solids (TSS) of 204NTU and 240 mg/L, respectively. This study was carried out in two parts: (1) optimization and modeling of the coagulation flocculation process. Two parameters were considered, which are the pH and the coagulant dosage. The results obtained show that the R2 were 97.93 % and 98.95 %, with removal percentage efficiency of 99.13 % and 94.0 % for turbidity and TSS, respectively. (2) The jar test optimization results were applied on a pilot of coagulation flocculation and sedimentation, with a flow rate of 150 L/h. The obtained result showed that the removal percentage efficiency were respectively 98.45 % and 92.29 % for turbidity and TSS.

Microplastic Removal in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) by Natural Coagulation: A Literature Review.

Urban industrialization has caused a ubiquity of microplastics in the environment. A large percentage of plastic waste originated from Southeast Asian countries. Microplastics arising from the primary sources of personal care items and industrial uses and the fragmentation of larger plastics have recently garnered attention due to their ubiquity. Due to the rising level of plastic waste in the environment, the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of plastics threaten aquatic and human life. Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are one of the major sources of these plastic fragments. WWTPs in Southeast Asia contribute largely to microplastic pollution in the marine environment, and thus, further technological improvements are required to ensure the complete and efficient removal of microplastics. Coagulation is a significant process in removing microplastics, and natural coagulants are far superior to their chemical equivalents due to their non-toxicity and cost-effectiveness. A focused literature search was conducted on journal repository platforms, mainly ScienceDirect and Elsevier, and on scientific databases such as Google Scholar using the keywords Wastewater Treatment Plant, Coagulation, Microplastics, Marine Environment and Southeast Asia. The contents and results of numerous papers and research articles were reviewed, and the relevant papers were selected. The relevant findings and research data are summarized in this paper. The paper reviews (1) natural coagulants for microplastic removal and their effectiveness in removing microplastics and (2) the potential use of natural coagulants in Southeast Asian wastewater treatment plants as the abundance of natural materials readily available in the region makes it a feasible option for microplastic removal.

Utilization of Angsana Leaves (Pterocarpus indicus Willd) as a Natural Coagulant for Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) Treatment

This research aims to prepare natural coagulants from Angsana leaves (Pterocarpus indicus willd) for Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) treatment, especially reducing main variables such as TSS, COD, and pH. The amounts of 100 mesh Angsana powder (5, 10, 15, and 20 grams) were extracted using NaCl solvent with concentrations of 0.25 M and 0.5 M, respectively. The extract (200 mL) were added to 500 mL of POME and stirred (180 rpm) for 30 minutes. The concentrations of TSS, COD, and pH in POME were analyzed. Results showed that the coagulation-flocculation process using Angsana leaves powder was able to reduce COD by 55.79% at a coagulant dose of 5 g/L with 0.25 M NaCl solvent and TSS by 99.75% at a dose of 20 g/L with 0.25 M NaCl solvent. However, treatment using Angsana leaves extract was not able to reduce COD to the predetermined quality standard limits while the TSS value met the quality standard. Therefore, POME treatment still requires further processing.

Emerging Trends in Wastewater Treatment of Semiconductor Industry: A Review

The semiconductor industry produces a lot of wastewater. These wastewaters can affect the environment if they are not treated. As a result, one of the semiconductor industry’s primary concerns and duties is the treatment and disposal of wastewater from the industry. Many processes, including electrocoagulation, electro-adsorption, and coagulation-flocculation using both natural and synthetic coagulants, have been invented over the years for purifying semiconductor effluent. The long-term viability of this system is unknown although it generates solid by-products (sludge) and requires routine sludge disposal, both of which raise the operational expenses of effluent treatment. Thus, a sustainable alternative method of removing contaminants from the semiconductor industry is needed to advance toward pollution prevention and green innovation. The hydrodynamic cavitation technique has improved over time and is useful for treating water and wastewater. This article gives an insight into different wastewater technologies, so proper technology must be chosen.

Chitosan in the treatment of mine spoil rainwater - An approach to protect the aquatic biota

The mining industry suppresses vegetation, exposing large soil areas in its ordinary operation. Water pollution and turbidity are caused by the carrying of solids, mainly colloidal particles, to the watercourses due to the effect of rainfall events. Therefore, the discharge of those effluents will lead to failure with watercourse quality parameters. Thus, there is a need to treat drainages (rainwaters) from the mining industry. However, using common coagulants and flocculants can result in acute or chronic ecotoxicity for aquatic biota. In this scenario, this research aimed to evaluate using a natural coagulant, the biopolymer Chitosan, to remove turbidity from mining industry spoiled water through bio-coagulation. The ecotoxicity of the natural coagulant was compared to the commonly used coagulants. For this purpose, we used synthetic rainwater (SRW) from the dispersion of fine (colloidal) particles in natural waters. Materials (water and soil) were collected in the mining area's sumps (sedimentation basins). The turbidity of the produced SRW ranged from between 500 and 4000 NTU. Jar Tests using Chitosan (CTS), polyaluminum chloride (PAC®12), and Superfloc®N100 variable doses were carried out to compare the effects of the coagulating/flocculating agents on the SRW turbidity reduction. The obtained results demonstrated the efficiency of CHS on turbidity reduction. The results were encouraging for low turbidity samples (<1000 NTU), making it possible to meet the limit parameters recommended by the Brazilian legislation. In addition, it was possible to conclude both CHS and the effluents treated with this coagulant have lower toxicity to aquatic biota than the combination of PAC®12 and Superfloc®N100.

Sustainable Water Treatment: Utilizing Banana Peel Extract as a Natural Coagulant

Sustainable Water Treatment: Utilizing Banana Peel Extract as a Natural Coagulant

Biorefinery of peanut shell agroindustrial lignocellulosic waste for synthesis of a natural coagulant applied in the treatment of dairy wastewater

Agro-industrial lignocellulosic residue from peanut shell was used to obtain a natural coagulant, cationic hemicelluloses (CH), adding value to the residue through means of biorefinery. The hemicellulose was applied, after its cationization by etherification reaction in alkaline medium with ETA, as a natural coagulant in the treatment of synthetic dairy effluent (SDE). FTIR showed an increase of the methyl group band in 1480 cm-1, degree of substitution DS 0.38 ± 0.05 and the positive zeta potential of +13.1 ± 0.5 mV CH indicating the insertion of ETA in the structure hemicelluloses whose zeta potential was negative of ‐11.4 ± 0.6 mV. The evaluation of the CH was performed with jartest on turbidity, apparent color, and COD for a pHcoagulation range 5–11 and dosages from 50-500 ppm. Coagulation diagrams were determined using the data spatial interpolation method of the adapted Kringing regression model. The maximum performance of CH of SDE by sedimentation and DAF occurred at 50 ppm and pH 11 with turbidity removal efficiency, true color and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 84.74%/87.48%, 98.75%/99.37% and 99.89%/93.38%, respectively. Flake morphology was analyzed through the application of an image capture non-intrusive method indicated low particle aggregation, with fractal dimension (Df) of the flakes stabilized in the range of 1.68–1.83 ± 0.020 in 15 min with a predominance of flakes with first-class flake diameters (0.022–1.20 mm) for all dosages. That explains the slower sedimentation and occurrence of smaller dispersed flakes which favored subsequent solid-liquid separation by DAF.

Investigating the efficiency of oak powder as a new natural coagulant for eliminating polystyrene microplastics from aqueous solutions

Polystyrene (PS) is a commonly used plastic material in disposable containers. However, it readily breaks down into microplastic particles when exposed to water environments. In this research, oak powder was used as a natural, inexpensive, and eco-friendly coagulant. The present study aims to determine the effectiveness of oak powder in removing PS from aquatic environments. The Box-Behnken model (BBD) was used to determine the optimal conditions for removal. The removal efficiency was evaluated for various parameters including PS concentration (100–900 mg/L), pH (4–10), contact time (10–40 min), and oak dosage (100–400 mg/L). The maximum removal of PS microplastics (89.1%) was achieved by using an oak dose of 250 mg/L, a PS concentration of 900 mg/L, a contact time of 40 min, and a pH of 7. These results suggest that oak powder can effectively remove PS microplastics through surface adsorption and charge neutralization mechanisms, likely due to the presence of tannin compounds. Based on the results obtained, it has been found that the natural coagulant derived from oak has the potential to effectively compete with harmful chemical coagulants in removing microplastics from aqueous solutions.

New method of producing a more efficient coagulant for the treatment of water from seeds of moringa oleifera

The coagulation is essential in raw water treatment. The most used coagulants are often of chemical origin and expensive and their use generates non-biodegradable residues. This is why innovative studies on the synthesis of natural coagulants based on plant extracts are very important. This study presents a new method of producing a coagulant for the treatment of water from seeds of moringa oleifera. The application of the new method is done in several steps: Harvesting moringa oleifera seeds, shelling, crushing the seeds, extracting oil from moringa oleifera powder, extracting salts from powder from moringa seeds oleifera, microfiltration with a 0.2 µm filter and lyophilization which gives the final product in dry form. We used the resulting product for coagulation of lake water with an initial turbidity of 40 NTU. This treatment reduced the turbidity of the water by almost 95 % when we used 0.7 mg of this coagulant per liter of water. Moringa has previously been used to produce coagulant but the peculiarity of this study is that it takes a very small amount of the synthesized product to effectively treat water.­The results of this research work have shown that the coagulant produced rom the seeds of Moringa oleifera can be used effectively for the treatment of surface water.­The residual turbidity obtained after the treatment of lake water with the coagulant produced was in accordance with the drinking water standard according to the World Health Organization (WHO) (less than 5 NTU).­The coagulant produced by this new method from moringa oleifera seed is an alternative to aluminum sulfate coagulant for water treatment.

Effective turbid water treatment using natural eco-friendly coagulants derived from oat and onion seeds

Conventional chemical coagulants are used for potable water treatment, which requires unsustainable mining and transformation of raw materials for their production with costly sludge disposal. Natural coagulants are potential alternatives to chemical coagulants. This study emphasized the use of natural eco-friendly coagulants (oat and onion seed) for turbid water treatment. Coagulant seeds were characterized by different techniques such as SEM, EDX, FTIR, and zeta potential analyzer. Response surface method (RSM) was used to optimize the coagulation process. The effect of initial water turbidity, pH, coagulant seed extract dose, slow mix time, and settling time on the efficiency of turbidity removal was studied. The relation between removal efficiency and the main three significant operational parameters (initial water turbidity, pH, and coagulant extract dose) was fitted to a quadratic model. The optimal removal was achieved at alkaline and neutral media (pH = 7–11 for oat extract and pH = 7–9 for onion extract). The turbidity removal efficiency was 99% using 6 ml/L oat extract dose and 98.9% using 4 ml/L onion extract dose at pH equal to 8 and initial turbidity of 190 NTU. The effect of using oat extract or onion extract with alum was studied, and the results indicated that the optimum dose was found to be 1 ml/L of a natural extract with 10 mg/L alum. Furthermore, oat and onion extract aids were able to decrease the organic load in the treated water. Oat and onion seed extracts were proven to be efficient and eco-friendly natural coagulants or coagulant aids for surface water treatment.

Characterization and treatment of tunneling wastewater using natural and chemical coagulants.

Particles are a concern regarding tunneling wastewater, but gaps remain in understanding metal(loid)s content and coagulation efficiency. In this research, characterization of the wastewaters before and after treatment was investigated by chemical analysis and various techniques for particle characterization. Then, laboratory work was conducted to evaluate effectiveness of sedimentation and use of coagulants to remove particles and particle-associated contaminants. Both natural (chitosan) and chemical coagulants (ferric chloride sulfates and polyaluminium chloride solution), were applied in a jar test system. The results indicated that short-time sedimentation alone substantially reduced the particle content and particle-associated pollutants, including metal(loid)s, while subsequent chemical coagulation was required to comply with discharge limits. The optimum dosages of chitosan, PIX, and PAX for water 1 after pre-treatment (15 min sedimentation) were 1 mg/L, 3 mg Fe/L, and 3 mg Al/L, respectively, while a dosage of 2 mg Al/L gave the best results in water 3. Furthermore, chemical coagulation significantly decreased the volume density of particles in the diameter range of 1-100 μm, showing that coagulants are efficient for the removal of smaller particles not removed by conventional sedimentation.

Feasibility study of faecal sludge treatment by Geotube and jute tube-based technologies.

The decentralized standalone treatment of faecal sludge is a generally cumbersome, energy-intensive, and expensive process. Particle size enlargement, dewatering, and disinfection are the crucial unit operations that contribute to the major portion of the operational expenditure. Therefore, the present study took up the task to investigate and yield a natural alternative to each of the above-delineated unit operations. Crushed seed powders of Moringa, Guilandina bonduc, Nirmali, tamarind, soap nut, nutmeg, jackfruit, and custard apple were experimented as natural coagulants, while a double-stitched cow dung-lined jute tube was utilized as the media for solid-liquid separation. Finally, the powder of Neem and custard apple seed and leaf were considered herbal disinfectants for the separated liquid and solid fractions, respectively. The findings of the physicochemical and biological analyses of the above unit operations were compared with a conventional polymer-based Geotube-driven treatment scheme. The natural alternatives registered some promising outcomes. However, the combined treatment efficiency of 79.32% (mean value of TS, TSS, TDS, COD, and BOD percentage removal) for pollutant removal and disinfection could not exceed the value of 97.98% offered by the conventional method. Further, the financial comparison for processing a 10 KL batch of FS indicates that the conventional scheme is considerably cheaper (USD 7.95) than the herbal alternate (USD 22.1). Therefore, though the present findings depict promising alternatives for sustainable and eco-friendly faecal sludge treatment, the authors advocate conducting further research to address the existing challenges to facilitate their seamless implementation on a field-scale level.

Valorization of walnut husks as a natural coagulant for optimized water decolorization

Coagulation-flocculation is an essential wastewater treatment and decolorization process. This study investigates walnut husks, an abundant agricultural waste, as a biocoagulant. The aim is to evaluate the coagulation efficacy of walnut husk powder (WHP) for removing methylene blue (MB) and turbidity (TUR) from water. WHP was prepared and characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) techniques. Jar tests were conducted in varying doses, granulation, and the initial pH. Box Behnken Design based on the response surface method (BBD-RSM). Predicted MB and TUR eliminations matched experimental values. Under optimal conditions at pH 9, 89.48 % MB and 96.59 % TUR removal were attained at 900 mg. L-1 and 1000 mg. L-1 doses. Results prove that WHP shows promise as an efficient biocoagulant for the removal of dyes and turbidity from wastewater.

Method for Extraction and Evaluation of Heliocarpus popayanensis and Triumfetta bogotensis as Natural Coagulants for the Treatment of Wastewater.

This research evaluates extracts from the bark of Heliocarpus popayanensis and Triumfetta bogotensis as coagulating agents for removing turbidity in domestic wastewater, considering the coagulant dosage and pH of the wastewater. ANOVA was conducted to assess differences between the coagulants, dosages, and pH, with three pH levels (5, 8, and 9) and six dosages (7, 9, 11, 13, 15, and 17 mL per 1000 mL of wastewater) at a significance level of α = 0.05, and both the p-value and effect size were evaluated. This study found that the mucilaginous compound from the bark of Triumfetta bogotensis performed better in reducing turbidity levels, with an average reduction of 30.2 NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Unit) (CI [25.9 NTU; 34.5 NTU], α = 0.05) at a pH of 5, and an average initial NTU of 102.2. This represents an average reduction of 70.45%. The dosage factor did not show significant effects on turbidity reduction, which opens the possibility for further study to determine the optimal dosage of the best coagulant.

Biomimetic Hematoma as a Novel Delivery Vehicle for rhBMP-2 to Potentiate the Healing of Nonunions and Bone Defects.

The management of bone defects and nonunions creates unique clinical challenges. Current treatment alternatives are often insufficient and frequently require multiple surgeries. One promising option is bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), which is the most potent inducer of osteogenesis. However, its use is associated with many side effects, related to the delivery and high doses necessary. To address this need, we developed an ex vivo biomimetic hematoma (BH), replicating naturally healing fracture hematoma, using whole blood and the natural coagulants calcium and thrombin. It is an autologous carrier able to deliver reduced doses of rhBMP-2 to enhance bone healing for complex fractures. More than 50 challenging cases involving recalcitrant nonunions and bone defects have already been treated using the BH delivering reduced doses of rhBMP-2, to evaluate both the safety and efficacy. Preliminary data suggest the BH is currently the only clinically used carrier able to effectively deliver reduced doses (∼70% less) of rhBMP-2 with high efficiency, rapidly and robustly initiating the bone repair cascade to successfully reconstruct complex bone injuries without side effects. The presented case provides a clear demonstration of this technology's ability to significantly alter the clinical outcome in extremely challenging scenarios where other treatment options have failed or are considered unsuitable. A favorable safety profile would portend considerable promise for BH as an alternative to bone grafts and substitutes. Although further studies regarding its clinical efficacy are still warranted, this novel approach nevertheless has tremendous potential as a favorable treatment option for bone defects, open fractures, and recalcitrant nonunions.

Extraction and Characterization of Natural Coagulant Made from Banana Plant Stems (Musa acuminate) for the Removal of Turbidity from Wastewater

Wastewater treatment with chemical coagulants has a variety of drawbacks, including sludge management, cost, concerns for human health, and environmental pollution. In light of this, a study was conducted to determine whether banana plant stem (Musa acuminate) made coagulant can effectively reduce turbidity (NTU) of wastewater. In this study, conventional extraction method was used to extract the coagulant from the banana plant stem by using NaCl (0.1, 0.5, 1 M) solvent. After extraction, the coagulation efficiency of each produced coagulant was computed in terms of their turbidity removal efficiency (%) from sampled wastewater. The sampled wastewater had an average turbidity value of 893 NTU. Response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD) were used to study the effects of NaCl solvent concentration (M), extraction time (min), and particle size (mm) on the coagulation efficiency (%) of the extracted coagulant. In addition, the coagulant was characterized such as FTIR analysis, point of zero charge value determination, and inulin compound presence analysis. From all prepared coagulants, the maximum coagulation efficiency obtained was 86.3% at the optimum conditions, such as 0.55 M (NaCl) of solvent concentration, 1.25 mm particle size, and 20 min of extraction time. The characterized coagulant had 6.2 points of zero charge value and also had various types of functional groups. Based on the findings of this study, it can be said that the coagulant prepared from banana stems (Musa acuminate) was an efficient natural coagulant that could be applied to treat wastewater.