Use of Cactus Powder as Natural Coagulant in Turbidity Removal of Water

Abstract

Coagulation is an important water treatment process used to reduce water turbidity. In this study, the effectiveness of a natural macromolecular coagulant derived from a cactus species for turbidity removal from natural water were evaluated using jar test. Initial turbidity values measured at 25-300 NTU was reduced by as much as 93%. For continuous flow the 0.9m distance seems to be enough for turbidity removal by using cactus powder. It was indicated that the coagulant did not have a considerable effect on final pH of the water. The amount of cactus added was well correlated with the final turbidity. High turbidity removal determined in this study indicates that cactus opuntia has the potential to be utilized for surface water treatment applications.