Analysis of the efficiency of different Oleaginous seeds and shells for use as natural coagulants

Abstract

The research problem is to reduce the use of chemical coagulants by seeking more sustainable alternatives to water treatment. The use of Moringa oleifera (MO) is a good alternative coagulant agent, indicated in the water treatment system, in its clarification process, in addition to being biodegradable, but there is a need to look for other seeds that also have potential for be used as natural coagulants, in this context, it is justified to study other typical seeds from Portugal, where this study was carried out, to be used as an alternative natural coagulant. The hypothesis of this project is: among the typically European seeds selected for evaluation, seeds with high potential for use as a natural coagulant for use in water treatment will be found. This project aims to identify seeds, typical of Portugal, with similar potential to Moringa oleifera Lam to be used as a natural coagulant. The project was carried out in partnership with UFS, IFS and ISEP, where experiments were carried out with synthetic water with turbidity ranging from 40 to 350 NTU. The seeds used were four different types of European chestnuts, American and Portuguese nuts, plantain and Moringa oleifera, in addition to chestnut and walnut shells. From the results found, the Spanish chestnuts stand out with a turbidity removal efficiency of up to 69.8% in high turbidity water, in addition to the MO with a removal efficiency of 89.8% in high turbidity water.