**5. Results of jar tests with natural coagulant biopolymers**

• Drying: After washing, it was dried for 2 days in the sun, taking into account that they

• Crushed: The material was crushed using a mixer (Oster). The resulting powder was sieved with a No. 200 sieve to obtain a very fine powder for storage in plastic containers to avoid

After obtaining the biopolymers, we proceed to prepare solutions of these extracts, to perform jar tests, and thus to determine the coagulant and flocculant capacity of natural biopolymers. The tests are carried out with water of natural characteristics with different types of solids, which include natural tannins, solids smaller than 0.2 mm, organic matter, and other sub-

**4.1. Preparation of the solutions for coagulation and flocculation of** *Melocactus* **sp.,**  *Opuntia dillenii***,** *Stenocereus griseus***,** *Cereus forbesii***,** *Aloe arborescens***, and** *Aloe vera*

out to realize the tests of jars, which prove the action of coagulant and flocculant.

water was added and manual agitation was carried out until completely diluted.

**4.2. Preparation of coagulation solutions of Kabuli chickpea (***Cicer arietinum* **L.)**

doses to treat the synthetic water prepared in the laboratory.

water to prepare water samples with a turbidity of 200 NTU.

**4.3. Control parameters in rockrose tests**

After obtaining the biopolymers of the plants *Melocactus* sp., *Opuntia dillenii*, *Stenocereus griseus*, *Cereus forbesii*, *Aloe arborescens*, and *Aloe vera*, the preparation of the solutions is carried

The flocculant preparation process was weighed 1 g of biopolymer, then 1000 ml of distilled

About 1% solution was prepared by adding 10 g of the anionic coagulant in 1000 ml with Milli-Q® water, obtaining a solution of 10,000 mg/l, after which stirring was carried out for 1 h to homogenize the mixture. In this solution, the tests were carried out to know the adequate

To prepare the synthetic water, laboratory clay was used for the preparation of samples of turbid water for all the experiments. About 20 g of clay were added to 1 l of distilled water. The suspension was gently stirred for 1 h on a magnetic stirrer in order to achieve a uniform dispersion of the clay particles. The suspension was allowed to stand for 24 h to achieve complete hydration of the clay. This clay suspension served as a stock solution using distilled

To test the coagulating and flocculating effect of the biopolymers of *Melocactus* sp., *Opuntia dillenii*, *Stenocereus griseus*, *Cereus forbesii*, *Aloe arborescens*, *Aloe vera*, and Kabuli chickpea (*Cicer* 

*arietinum* L.), jug tests were performed as provided in ASTM D2035: 08 [12].

hydration and subsequent use in the preparation of the solutions of the coagulant.

cannot be wetted by rain or other water source.

378 Desalination and Water Treatment

**4. Tests of the biopolymers obtained**

stances typical of raw or residual waters.

The results of the tests of the biopolymers, natural coagulants, are collected in four main tests, the first ones refer to the pH, the turbidity, and the color; the last one takes the coagulants with good performance and measures the Z potential.

Turbidity and color in water is related to the presence of substances or microorganisms, which is directly related to its quality to be consumed or used in other ways; the results offer an overview of the potentialities of all the plants for the coagulation and flocculation processes, with different degree of efficiency.

To control the efficiency of coagulation and flocculation as a function of pH, the pH was taken after coagulation, taking into account that the initial pH of the water is 7.2. The pH results are shown in **Graph 1**, showing that the coagulant that most affected the final pH was the biopolymer of *Melocactus* sp., which brought the pH up to 6.2. The data show a standard deviation of 0.3.

**Graph 1** shows that the only one that did not affect the pH in the jar test was *Stenocereus* spp.; the others lowered the pH moderately to values of 7 or 6.8.

The turbidity results (**Graph 2**) showed that the best biopolymers to remove these solids associated with turbidity were *Melocactus* spp. and Kabuli chickpea (*Cicer arietinum* L.), which showed turbidity removals greater than 95 and 97%, respectively. The data show a standard deviation of 3.1.

The results of the other biopolymers showed a removal capacity greater than 88 and up to 92%, which shows the effectiveness of these biopolymers with water that has a neutral pH.

All the biopolymers tested showed effective action in the removal of turbidity, in a range between 88 and 97%, with some differences and affectations to the pH of the sample at the final moment of the jar test.

For the case of the color results (**Graph 3**), we can see a good activity of all the biopolymers, taking into account that the one that showed the best performance in the removal of the

**Graph 1.** Results of the pH test for studied coagulants. Source: authors.

The results show a greater efficiency in the removal of color. The best performance of these tests lies in the *Melocactus* that was the best removing species in case of both turbidity and color, but with the highest incidence in the pH. The other biopolymer with high performance is the Kabuli chickpea (*Cicer arietinum* L.), which showed a good turbidity and color removal

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Z potential measurements were made to the biopolymers with better performance, which

**Table 1** shows the results of the Z potential of the *Melocactus* sp. and Kabuli chickpea (*Cicer* 

**pH Zeta potential (mv)** *Melocactus* **sp. Zeta potential (mV) Kabuli chickpea**

capacity with very little pH affectation.

**Graph 3.** Color removal with each coagulant studied. Source: authors.

 −1.7 15.1 −3.9 −2.5 −12.9 −11.8 −19.6 −19.8 −22.9 −21.9 −22.9 −21.9 −27.1 −24.5 −29.4 −27.1

**Table 1.** Z potential of *Melocactus* sp. and Kabuli chickpea (*Cicer arietinum* L.).

*arietinum* L.), with pH between 3 and 10.

showed the following results.

Source: authors.

**Graph 2.** Turbidity removal with each coagulant studied. Source: authors.

color was the biopolymer of *Melocactus* sp., with a performance greater than 96%, and then it was appreciated that the two species of *Aloe* sp. with a removal greater than 95%; then there are *Opuntia* sp., *Stenocereus* sp., and Kabuli chickpea (*Cicer arietinum* L.), with performances greater than 94% and the last one was evidenced by *Cereus forbesii* with a performance greater than 92%. The data show a standard deviation of 1.4.

**Graph 3.** Color removal with each coagulant studied. Source: authors.

The results show a greater efficiency in the removal of color. The best performance of these tests lies in the *Melocactus* that was the best removing species in case of both turbidity and color, but with the highest incidence in the pH. The other biopolymer with high performance is the Kabuli chickpea (*Cicer arietinum* L.), which showed a good turbidity and color removal capacity with very little pH affectation.

Z potential measurements were made to the biopolymers with better performance, which showed the following results.

**Table 1** shows the results of the Z potential of the *Melocactus* sp. and Kabuli chickpea (*Cicer arietinum* L.), with pH between 3 and 10.


**Table 1.** Z potential of *Melocactus* sp. and Kabuli chickpea (*Cicer arietinum* L.).

color was the biopolymer of *Melocactus* sp., with a performance greater than 96%, and then it was appreciated that the two species of *Aloe* sp. with a removal greater than 95%; then there are *Opuntia* sp., *Stenocereus* sp., and Kabuli chickpea (*Cicer arietinum* L.), with performances greater than 94% and the last one was evidenced by *Cereus forbesii* with a performance greater

than 92%. The data show a standard deviation of 1.4.

**Graph 2.** Turbidity removal with each coagulant studied. Source: authors.

**Graph 1.** Results of the pH test for studied coagulants. Source: authors.

380 Desalination and Water Treatment

The Zeta potential of the biopolymers shows similar values in the range of pH 4 and 10, which may indicate a similar activity with solid particles of small size, such as those that generate turbidity and color in the water.

**Author details**

\*, Jhoan Jaramillo2

Horticultural Science. 2007;**1**(2):246-257

Process Biochemistry. 2010:1437-1444

Sciences. 2014;**5**(3):269-281

Natural Sciences. 2002:353-365

2003;**26**(1):76-82

ASTM; 2008

\*Address all correspondence to: manuelepalza@gmail.com

and Oscar Guarín<sup>1</sup>

2 Environmental Engineering, University of Valladolid (UVA), Valladolid, Spain

1 Environmental Engineering, University of Santander (UDES), Bucaramanga, Colombia

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[5] Yin C-Y. Emerging usage of plant-based coagulants for water and wastewater treatment.

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[9] Villabona Angel PIM. Characterization of *Opuntia ficus-indica* for use as a natural coagu-

[10] V. Á. T. C. G. R. Guzman Luis. Reduction of water turbidity using natural coagulants: A

[11] C. M. D. A. C. E. Martinez Damarys. Performance of *Cactuslefaria*to use like coagulating in the water clarification. Technical Journal of the Faculty of Engineering. April 30,

[12] ASTM. Standard Practice for Coagulation-Flocculation Jar Test Water. New York:

review. Revista U.D.C.A Actualidad & Divulgación Científica. 2013:253-262

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Jesús Epalza1

**References**

1998

It is important to note that all plants used have the potential to treat water; and that the efficiency differences can be associated to the affinity for different particles and their extraction form.
