article · Desalination and Water Treatment
Conventional wastewater treatment relies on chemical coagulants and flocculants that pose environmental and safety threats. This research investigates the use of powder from the Austrocylindropuntia subulata plant as a natural alternative for wastewater purification. Analysis of the raw chlorenchyma powder showed a strong compositional similarity to Opuntia ficus indica. The active coagulant was produced through a simple water extraction method. Testing indicated that a dose of 0.1 grams achieved approximately 99 percent turbidity removal. The dry raw powder maintained its full treatment efficiency after one year of storage. While the water-based liquid extract also retained its coagulating performance after three months of storage, it degraded in quality by developing a brownish colour and an unpleasant smell caused by the microbial oxidation of organic components.
Chemical coagulants used in wastewater treatment can present environmental and health hazards under conditions of worsening water stress. Finding effective plant-based replacements helps make water recycling safer and more sustainable. Demonstrating that an underutilised cactus species achieves 99 percent turbidity removal with small dosing offers a promising green option for cleaner water purification processes.
This work points to an application in wastewater clarification, potentially serving municipal or industrial water treatment operators seeking bio-based coagulants. The technology appears to be at an early laboratory stage. Practical adoption would require resolving storage issues with the liquid extract, particularly managing the microbial oxidation that leads to odour and discolouration over time, or focusing deployment on the more stable dry raw powder.
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Since the last decades, water stress challenges caused by climate change have posed a significant concern for the treatment and re-use of treated wastewater. Conventional treatment methods employ chemicals as coagulants-flocculants, which pose a serious threat. Hence, it has led to a gradual increase in the use of natural plants as promising safe alternatives. In the present work, the Austrocylindropuntia subulata plant was used for the first time as a coagulant-flocculant for wastewater treatment. The raw chlorenchyma powder of the plant was characterized by SEM, FTIR, and EDX, the results showed a very strong resemblance with the composition of the Opuntia ficus indica. The biocoagulant-flocculant was obtained by simple extraction using distilled water. An optimization dose test demonstrated that a mass of 0.1 g decreases approximately 99% of turbidity. After a year of storage, the raw powder retained the same efficiency. The extract's coagulant-flocculant properties remained stable after three months of storage, but it developed an unpleasant odor and a brownish color due to microbial oxidation of organic components.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.dwt.2024.100339
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