PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND BIOFLOCCULATING EFFICIENCY OF POLAR RESIDUE OF PARTITIONED EXTRACT OF TELFAIRIA OCCIDENTALIS LEAF

Abstract

Water contamination has become more pronounced as a result of human economic growth all over the world. This study investigated the physicochemical properties and bioflocculating activity of the polar residue of partitioned extract (PRPE) of Telfairia occidentalis leaf. The bioflocculating activity of the extract was evaluated for optimum dosage, pH, temperature, and metal ion using Kaolin clay suspension; the optimum activities obtained were used in wastewater treatment. The optimum flocculating activity of the PRPE was obtained at the dose of 1 mg/mL, pH of 4, the temperature of 50°C, and divalent cation (Ca2+). The physicochemical characteristics of removal of turbidity, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS) and heavy metals were determined before and after treatment. Upon treatment of two different domestic wastewaters (DW1 & DW2), the physicochemical parameters were reduced except for nitrate and turbidity, which increased for DW2. The bioflocculant displayed the highest activity in DW1 with turbidity removal of 74%, TSS removal of 48%, nitrate removal of 24%, BOD and COD removal of 87.5% and 50% respectively. Heavy metals were also removed effectively in DW1 compared to DW2. The FTIR characterization revealed the presence of primary amine (N-H), cyclic alkene (C=C), phenol (O-H), sulfoxide (S=O) and, halo compound (C-Br) groups present in the bioflocculant which are essential as they promote the flocculation process. The findings from this study attest to the ability of PRPE of Telfairia occidentalis to act as a flocculant.