Pravara Journal of Science & Technology 2017; 1(1)

Natural Coagulants for Wastewater treatment: Review

V. D. Talnikar*
Chemical Engineering Department
Sir Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, Chincholi, Nashik.
Abstract
The natural coagulants can treat water from high to low turbid water and having remarkable
removal efficiency that can be used for drinking purposes. Natural coagulants are usually
supposed safe in human health point of view. These natural coagulants are usually used as
coagulant in tanning Industry, dairy industry waste water treatment. A number of seed extracts,
Maize, Chitosan, Palm oil and vegetable oil, Bentonite etc. are the promising natural coagulants
for treatment of waste water. These treatments are also proved to be economical. A review of
natural coagulants its effectiveness, and its applications has been presented.

Key words: Polluting industry, seed extracts, Maize, Chitosan, treatment.

In order to decrease waste hazards and to
restrict the resulted effects on the
Introduction environment, research for the wastewater
At present, in order to decrease waste treatment is necessary. The applicability and
hazards and to restrict the resulted effects on possibility of using new methods and
the environment, investigators studying the materials to treat wastewater is the demand.
possibility of using new methods and Coagulation and flocculation process are
materials to treat wastewater. Coagulation physical and chemical methods that are
and flocculation process are physical- extensively used in the treatment of waste
chemical methods that widely used in the water. Presently, the prime concern of the
treatment of wastewater. The key concern environmental engineers is how to lower
of the environmental engineers is how to down the coagulants and flocculants cost
lower the coagulants and flocculants cost and to improve the characteristics of the
and to improve the characteristics of the produced waste for safe utilization.
produced sludge for safe utilizing.
Flocculation and coagulation constitute the Scope for the Treatment
backbone process in most waste water and Tanning Industry is one of industries, which
water treatment plants. Their aim is to is considered as highly polluting industry
increase the separation of particulate species (APPCB Information Bulletin. 2005).
in down-stream processes such as filtration Tanneries generate wastewater in the range
and sedimentation and (Kaladevi and of 30 - 35 l/kg skin or hide processed with
Preetha, 2013). The increasing variable pH and high concentrations of
industrialization and urbanization with suspended solids, BOD, COD. Major
considerably increasing the rate of water problems are due to wastewater containing
pollution. Curtail in supplies of natural heavy metals, toxic chemicals, chloride,
resources of water have made this a serious lime with high dissolved and suspended salts
limitation for industrial growth and for a and other pollutants (Durai et al. 2011).
reasonable standard of urban living (Baisali Tanning industry is one of the highest
et al. 2006). polluting industry which is highly complex
and is characterized by high BOD, COD,

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suspended solids, settleable solids, sulfide, the use of chemical coagulants (Choy,
chloride and chromium. Untreated tannery 2014).
effluents when discharged directly into the A coagulant is a substance which in
water bodies or into the open lands cause solution, furnishes ionic charges opposite to
irreversible damage to the environment. those of the colloidal turbid particles present
Coagulationflocculation is one of the most in water. Coagulants neutralize repelling the
important physicochemical treatment steps charges on the colloidal particles and
employed in industrial wastewater treatment produce a jelly- like spongy mass called a
to reduce the suspended and colloidal flock. Flocculation causes considerable
materials responsible for turbidity of the increase in the density and size of
wastewater. During the last decade, more coagulated particles resulting in an effective
interest has been given on the use of natural rate of settling of the particles in a solution
coagulants in treating industrial wastewater or in the wastewater (Ellis, 1988). In order
(Tasneembano and Arjun, 2013). to treat water the natural coagulants proved
The dairy industry is generally considered to to be effective one. Surjana Seed is a seed of
be largest source of food processing. These tropical plant of Moringa oleifera from
industries wastewater is characterized by family of Moringaceae. Moringa oleifera
high COD, BOD, nutrients etc. Such commonly known as drum stick is the
wastewater is to be treated natural known species which grows quickly even at
coagulants and then tests are to be carried to low altitudes, generally used as medicine,
check the water characteristics like BOD, vegetable and sources of vegetable oil. In
COD, pH and turbidity, etc. The initial pH, Indian region the Surjana is easily available
Turbidity, COD are 7.41. 289.5 NTU, 10000 (Patel, 2013).
mg/l respectively (Chidanand and Manika A number of seed extracts have been known
2015). An important concern of the to flocculate particles resin water and the
environmental industries, is to lower the following procedure has been used and
coagulants and flocculants cost and at the which if developed may yield divides. It
same time to improve the characteristics of include; 1) Extract the seeds from the plant
the produced sludge to be safely utilized. To fruit. 2) Dry seeds for up to three days. 3)
overcome this problem the use of natural Grind the seeds to a fine powder. 4) Prepare
coagulants are attempted to treat such kinds a mixture of water and ground seed material
of wastewater. (the volume of water depend on the type of
Natural Coagulants seed material used) in case of Moringa
Choy et al. indicated turbidity in general is a oleifera , add 100 cm3of water for each seed;
measure of water cloudiness induced by for peach or bean seeds, add water to each
suspended and colloidal matters and is also 0.3 to 0.5 g of ground material. 5) Mix this
one of the major criteria in raw water solution for 5 to 10 minutes: the faster it is
monitoring to meet the stipulated water stirred, the less time is required. 6) Finally,
quality guidelines. Reduction of turbidity is after the sediments settle, decant the treated
often achieved using chemical coagulants water, testing it for pH, color and turbidity.
such as alum. The use of alum is widely But with wetland system, water hyacinth is
associated with potential development of the most popular plant used in
health issues and generation of voluminous phytoremediation (Yongabi, 2010). It has
sludge. Natural coagulants that are available been reported that Moringa oleifera seeds
in abundance can certainly be considered in reduces bacterial count in wastewater by at
addressing the drawbacks associated with least 99% Wetland treatment system using

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totora have been observed as efficient at seed have been found to act as coagulant
removing nutrients and oxygen demanding because natural seeds are naturally occurring
substances from effluent. It has been seen to polyelectrolytes (bio colloids).
remove parasites, total and faecal coliforms Palm oil is one of the most important
from inflows by 88-99% (Yongabi, 2010). vegetable oil. The extraction and
purification process create a lot of waste and
Maize (scientific name: Zea mays) is is known as palm oil mill effluent (POME).
commonly known as corn in many Kaladevi and Preetha et al. showed the
countries. The Maize seeds are easily and efficiency of natural coagulants for the
abundantly available in Indian region. The treatment of POME with cacti species and
seed of maize plant may be washed with zeamaize. Temperature, initial pH, mixing
water to remove dust and were dried in an time, mixing speed and coagulant dose were
oven at 60 2C. The dried seed were the constant parameters throughout the
crushed and powdered and sieved through experiment. Further treatment efficiency
200 m nylon sieves and used as coagulant. was determined by pH, conductivity,
Researchers had tried to utilize maize seeds alkalinity, Turbidity, hardness, TDS, TSS,
as coagulant aid (Patel, 2013). oil and grease, BOD and COD of the sample
are estimated by standard method. The work
Chitosan is cellulose like biopolymer widely indicated that both these traditional plants
distributed in nature, especially in marine may contribute the treatment efficiency with
invertebrates, insects, fungi, and yeasts. Its respect to their potential characteristics
deacetylation of chitin [poly--(1 4) -N- (Kaladevi and Preetha, 2013).
acetyl-Dglucosamine, is readily soluble in Bentonite is a natural material that contains
acidic solutions, which makes it more essential compounds such as aluminium,
available for applications. Chitosan is a iron and clay materials which are useful for
yellow colored powder, non-toxic, the treatment of wastewater. Moreover,
biodegradable, linear cationic polymer of bentonite is cheaper than several other
high molecular weight with a number of chemicals and it fulfils the economic
applications including chromatography, benefits of the operators as well as
water treatment, additives for cosmetics, environmental concerns (Syafalni et al.
textile treatment for antimicrobial activity, 2013).
novel fibers for textiles, photographic Muthuraman and Sasikala investigated the
papers, biodegradable films, biomedical ability of three plant materials, seeds such
devices, improvement of quality and shelf - as Moringa oleifera, Strychnos
life of food and microcapsule implants for potatorum and Phaseolus vulgaris, to act as
controlled release in drug delivery. Also, it natural coagulants was tested using synthetic
is utilized for recovery of suspended solids turbid water formulated to resemble the
in processing wastes from poultry, eggs, drinking water. An improved and alternative
cheese and vegetable operations (Patel, method for the extraction of the active
2013). For the textile industry effluent coagulant agent M. oleifera, S.
treatment the Surjana Seed Powder, Maize potatorum, P. vulgaris seeds was developed
Seed Powder and Chitosan showed and compared with the conventional water
prominent results. Table 1 shows that there extraction method. In the new method the
was continuous removal with increases in seeds were extracted using different solvents
coagulant doses up to 30.0 g l-1, which may of NaCl and NaOH to extract the active
be due to increases of substantially. Natural coagulant agent from natural coagulants. In

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addition, ultrasound was investigated as a 500 NTU was investigated (Muthuraman

potential method to assist the extraction and Sasikala, 2014). Moringa oleifera (MO)
process. Batch coagulation experiments seed is a natural plant with active bio-
were conducted to evaluate the performance coagulate compounds that can be used for
of the extracted coagulant achieved through water clarification since it reduces the use of
various schemes. The optimum turbidity chemical-based coagulants (Camacho et al.
removal at different values of initial 2017).
synthetic wastewater turbidity from 100 to
The applicability of extracts from fava bean Concluding Remarks
seeds (Vicia faba L.), as natural coagulants, 1. The use of natural coagulants from plant
was investigated. Coagulants were obtained based sources represents a vital
by extraction, with distilled water or NaCl development in sustainable
solutions, from grinded seeds and were environmental technology as it focuses
applied as coagulants, in various doses, in mainly on the improvement of quality of
synthetic water having different initial life for underdeveloped communities.
turbidities and pH values. Presence of NaCl 2. The Coagulation process becomes more
in water showed that increasing the ionic efficient and the cost of treatment is
strength results in greater amount of reduced.
extracted compounds, but it does not affect 3. It is helpful in turbid, color and heavy
coagulation activity. Appling different doses metals removal from wastewater.
of coagulant in water showed that the best 4. Moringa oleifera is an effective natural
coagulation activity is achieved by adding coagulant.
dose of 0.125 ml/l. The conducted 5. The study related to natural coagulants
experiments confirm positive coagulation are limited and many researchers studied
properties of these extracts, therefore it can the Chitosan and Moringa oleifera for
be concluded that they have great potential studying various parameters, a detail
as natural coagulants. (Kulkic et al. 2015) study with other natural and easily
available coagulants is required.
Table 1. Influence of different doses of SSP, MSP and Chitosan for removal COD and color
from textile wastewater (Patel, 2013).

Surjana Seed
Coagulant Maize Seed Powder Chitosan
Powder
Dose (g/ l)
COD Color COD Color COD Color
5 26.62 9.99 20.73 8.00 13.24 5.14

10 37.59 21.70 31.79 16.85 25.42 13.71

15 48.53 37.12 50.54 24.27 40.09 19.99

20 61.94 49.77 54.62 33.32 50.38 28.56

25 74.11 58.51 62.53 44.49 56.43 38.49

30 70.34 62.82 68.82 47.03 64.68 42.83

35 69.42 67.73 45.69 63.53 67.73 42.83

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