Title : Natural Organic Matter (NOM), turbidity removal and biodegradability behavior by coagulant solution based on M.Oleifera in water treatment
Abstract:
Organic Matter (NOM) is a diverse group of soluble and insoluble constituents in water that influences the sensory and aesthetic quality of drinking water. The presence of NOM is associated with alterations in taste, odor, trans-parency, among others, and it presents a considerable challenge in water treatment processes due to its contribution to the origin of potentially harmful disinfection by-products. There are different processes to reduce NOM in water treatment, some chemical and others biological, this article explores a new natural alternative for physico-chemical treatment, which are natural coagulants, especially the seeds of M.Oleifera, (M.Olefera) in the improvement of NOM, particularly focusing on its comparative performance against the standard Aluminum Sulphate (AS) in turbidity reduction, pathogen mitigation, and influence on the biodegradability of effluents. M. Oleifera is known for its turbidity removal efficacy, but its capabili-ties for NOM reduction, pathogen elimination, and enhancement of biodegrada-bility are still under rigorous scrutiny.
Employing a comprehensive suite of physicochemical and microbiological tests, this investigation treated high-NOM river water samples using M. Oleifera and AS in a controlled jar test environment to evaluate their treatment efficacies. The results were meaningful, with M. Oleifera achieving an 81% turbidity reduction, slightly lower than AS's 97.9% efficiency. However, M. Oleifera's performance in reducing COD was modest at 1.6%, with AS showing no effect. BOD reduc-tions were 5% for M. Oleifera and a more significant 27% for AS. Pathogenic coliforms were reduced by 31% with M. Oleifera and by 35% with AS. Interestingly, the study highlighted those effluents treated with M. Oleifera had a biodegradability index of 0.011, surpassing AS’s 0.007, indicating a 63% im-provement in the potential for biological degradation. This underscores M. Oleif-era's predisposition to facilitate organic matter decomposition in effluents. The research study confirms the ability of both coagulants in turbidity removal; however, it reveals their limitations in organic matter degradation, with AS being notably less effective. Therefore, neither coagulant is advisable for COD removal. Nevertheless, the study presents a notable retention of microorganisms by both coagulants, marking an important consideration for water treatment strategies.
