application of response surface methodology for optimizing process parameters for water treatment using blend of plant based naturel bio-floculant and synthetic coagulant :(moringa oleifera-alum blend)

The objective of this work is to examine the effects of various coagulants, namely aluminium sulphate and the bio-flocculant moringa oleifera (m. oleifera), on the coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation processes in a jar test model for treating artificial turbid water. an assessment was conducted to quantify and compare the performance of m. oleifera bio-flocculant with alum in terms of its capacity to neutralize and stabilize suspension charge, remove turbidity, impact on ph and electrical conductivity, residual organic matter, and cytotoxicity in the treated water. hence, the impact of several physicochemical factors was investigated, including the concentration of the bio-flocculant and coagulants employed, the role of ph on aggregation, and the agitation speed. the optimal turbidity removal percentages associated with the coagulant aluminium sulphate are achieved at a concentration of 80mg/l, resulting in a minimum turbidity value of 2.09ntu. adding the bio-flocculant m. oleifera results in the highest turbidity eradication percentages at a concentration of 0.2 mg/l, namely a minimum turbidity value of 2.07 ntu. the ideal ph for the removal of suspended sediments (mes) by coagulation/bio-flocculation is 7.8, which corresponds to a turbidity of around 2.07. ntu. an analysis of the implementation of response surface methodology and the box-behnken design is presented in this study. this study employed a box-behnken experimental design with three levels and three factors. the results indicated that the box-behnken design and response surface approach are suitable for efficient modelling of the laboratory-scale coagulation-flocculation process.