Natural coagulants such as Moringa oleifera and tannin can be used in water treatment systems aiming to remove turbidity. Raw water with turbidity range from 101 to 110 NTU was simulated in laboratory tests, and treated using M. oleifera and tannin as coagulants. Coagulated and flocculated water was filtered directly through non-woven synthetics fabrics. Different methods of coagulating solution preparation were evaluated based on M. oleifera. Both coagulant behavior were also compared with respect to turbidity removal and their influence on treated water pH alteration. Comparison results for the two coagulants showed that tannin (Tanfloc SG), since it was an industrialized standardized product, presented a more stable behavior throughout filtration as compared to M. oleifera. Although variations in turbidity occurred during filtration with M. oleifera, there was a considerable reduction in this parameter, which remained below 5 NTU in all trials. Therefore, M. oleifera is feasible when considering turbidity reduction.
coagulation-flocculation; natural polymers; rural sanitation; turbidity removal; water treatment
