Effects of initial turbidity and Myco-coagulant dose on the effectiveness of coagulation process in water treatment

• Main Authors: Nedjai, Radhia, Al-Mamun, Abdullah, Alam, Md. Zahangir
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering; TD169 Environmental protection
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/102333/7/PROG%20BOOK%20ICCE%2022%20%28Finalized%29.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/102333/1/Paper%20ICCE%202022%20on%20mycocoagulant%20for%20IsDB.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/102333/; https://conference.iium.edu.my/icmae/2022/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/IEC-Program-Book-2022.pdf

High turbidity is a pollutant that requires coagulants to be removed from the treated water and wastewater. This study was conducted to characterize and analyze the potential of bio-coagulant producing fungus isolated from the moist area in the kitchen. One variable at a time analysis (OVAT) was carried out to assess the capacity of produced myco-coagulant in various initial turbidities and myco-coagulant doses. The potential of myco-coagulant was tested using turbid synthetic water with different turbidity levels (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 NTU). The results showed that turbidity removal by the myco-coagulant was influenced by the initial turbidity. The coagulant was less efficient at low turbidity levels, which was about 5 % for 50 NTU, while the highest of 52 % for 300 NTU water. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that myco-coagulant was able to remove the highest possible turbidities on day 6 with all initial turbidity values studied in this work. Different myco-coagulant doses ranging from 1 to 10 % (v/v) were also used to determine the optimum dose for effective flocculation. The highest turbidity removal of 57 % could be obtained at an optimum coagulant dose of 4 % (v/v). Like any other commercial coagulants, the residual turbidity value increased at a coagulant dose higher than the optimum dose of 4 % (v/v).