Performance of Granulated Groundnut (Arachis Hypogea) as Coagulant for Water Treatment

Abstract

Natural plant materials are cost effective and environmentally friendly; they do not produce poisonous secondary by-products and therefore cannot result to climate change. They are also locally available and readily implementable. These characteristics makes them potential alternative to aluminium sulphate and other chemicals in water coagulation. In this Project work, the effect of the performance of granulated groundnut as a coagulant for water treatment was aimed and the specific objectives were to fabricate a jar tester, study the effect of selected parameters such as the effect of speed, dose and time on the coagulation process, analyze the chemical composition of groundnut, and evaluate the performance of the granulated groundnut as coagulant in reduction of total suspended solid in turbid water. This was done by conducting laboratory test for total suspended solids in turbid water. Total suspended solids in turbid water sample were measured before and after the Jar testing using varying doses of groundnut extracts by using portable instruments. The experiments were carried out with coagulant dosage of 20 ml, 50 ml and 100 ml respectively. Total dissolved solids removal efficiency of groundnut obtained from this study was 80.00% at a dosage of 0.9mg/l. Groundnut thus exhibited high efficiency in removing Total Suspended Solids. Also, Regression test was done using Excel software and Data Fit software to obtain an equation to study the relationship between selected parameters such as the effect of speed, dose and time on the coagulation process and it was concluded from the equation obtained that the total suspended solid in turbid water produced was reduced best at the reliability (R2) value gotten as 0.9839 which indicates that granulated groundnut when used as a coagulant in removal of total suspended solids will be 98.39% efficient.