Water Treatment with Clean Technologies Using Moringa oleifera Seeds in Alternative Low-Cost Clarification Units

Abstract

Water is an essential element for human survival, yet many individuals still lack access to treated water to meet their basic needs. To mitigate this situation, alternative water treatment technologies that are accessible and easy to handle are being explored. Among these, the use of Moringa oleifera seeds as a natural coagulant and the application of a helically coiled tube as a flocculation unit have been studied. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the turbidity removal efficiency using two different coagulants (Moringa oleifera and aluminum sulfate) in an alternative water clarification system. The system consists of a helically coiled tube flocculator (HCTF) coupled with a conventional decantation unit. It was observed that the coagulant solution from shelled seeds required a lower dosage to achieve efficiencies above 90% compared to the coagulant solution from seeds with shells. The optimal dosage was 30 mL/L of the coagulant solution from shelled seeds. This dosage resulted in high turbidity-removal efficiencies, ranging from 92% to 100%. The processing method of the seeds that yielded the highest efficiency in turbidity removal was the mortar and pestle, as opposed to a blender. The optimal configuration of the alternative water clarification system comprised using the lower HCTF in a horizontal orientation. The use of the alternative water clarification system, along with the natural coagulant, proves to be a promising alternative clean technology for water clarification in locations without access to conventional treatment, being efficient in turbidity removal.