Turbidity Removal Efficiency In Surface Raw Water Using Carica Papaya Seeds As Natural Coagulant

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the turbidity removal efficiency of Carica papaya seeds extracts as a natural coagulant for synthetic and river water samples. To achieve this objective, several jar tests were executed by applying different bio-coagulant dosages, at three concentration levels of raw water turbidity, according to standardized procedures. ANOVA was used to verify if there were statistically significant differences between the dosages applied, with a confidence level of 95%. High turbidity removals were achieved when the initial raw water concentration was equal to or greater than 200 ITU. Efficiencies of up to 90.7% were recorded for synthetic water samples, and 74.6% for river water when dosages of 50 mg/L were applied. It was shown that Carica papaya seeds extract has a high potential to be used efficiently in turbid water clarification.