USE OF TAMARIND SEED (TAMARINDUS INDICA) AS AN ORGANIC COAGULANT FOR TURBIDITY AND COLOR REMOVAL IN WATER FOR POTABILIZATION

Abstract

This article presents the evaluation of the turbidity and water color removal efficiency by using a natural coagulant based seed tamarind (Tamarindus indica), so that can be replaced the aluminum sulfate on coagulation-flocculation processes and thereby to have an efficient, economical alternative and that did not affect to the environment. This research was developed at the Laboratory Unified of Chemical and Microbiology Sanitary “Dr. Alba Tabarini Molina” of the University of San Carlos Of Guatemala; assays to samples were performed on a laboratory scale, with tap water, which were modified with kaolin to obtain the required turbidity and color values, in order to have similar characteristics to water prior to be treated in a treatment plant. Results showed the efficiency of the coagulant in obtaining turbidity removal percentages after coagulation- flocculation up to 94.3% (7.9 NTU); and up to 99.9% (0.4 NTU) after filtration. The color was placed after the coagulation-flocculation processes between 18.2 and 207.2 CU and after filtering 0.2 to 14.5 CU. Reaching average values of turbidity of 1.68 NTU and 4.4 UC at the end of the filtering process, which fulfills the standards of water quality for both Honduras and Guatemala of turbidity an color; so the use of seeds of tamarind as natural coagulant is an efficient alternative, which does not affect the environment and can be used in the water purification replacing chemicals such as aluminum sulfate.