Use of Neem Leaf Powder as Natural Coagulant to Treat Industrial Wastewater

Abstract

Neem is one of the flexible trees with considerable ability to treat wastewater and its cultivation is extremely encouraged in most emerging countries. The leaves of this tropical tree consist of positively charged protein, solvable which performs as an effective coagulant. Treatment of wastewater costs excessive because of usage of chemical coagulants in treatment, hence nearly all village inhabitants go for an alternate to easily accessible supplies usually which is of minimal quality and disclosing them to waterborne infections. In this investigation work, tests were conducted to examine the several properties of neem leaf powder. This was done with varying dosages of 10, 20, 30, 40,50, and 60 g/L of neem leaf powder as a coagulant. Experiments were conducted without adding or addition of neem leaf powder. Also, the standards obtained from tests imply a low acidic value. The turbidity rate obtained indicated that tests with various dosages of neem leaf powder 10gm/L provide clear water along with a turbidity value of 91NTU. Jar apparatus testing was conducted to examine the optimum dosage of neem leaf powder, and also pH values imply an acidic range, for neem leaf. Results attained in this investigation provide the previous works suggesting the usage of neem leaf for wastewater treatment. Results achieved in this investigation assist in the earlier works carried out using neem leaf powder as a natural coagulant.