Author(s)

Evelyn Zamudio-Pérez, Neftalí Rojas-Valencia, Isaac Chairez, Luis Gilberto Torres

Bioprocesess Department, UPIBI-Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Barrio la Laguna Ticomán, Mexico.
Engineering Institute UNAM, Environmental Engineering Department, Coyoacán, Mexico.

Wastewater from a municipal wastewater treatment plant (Mexico) was treated by a coagulation-flocculation using natural gums. The residual water was characterized in terms of organic load, and biological contaminants, i.e. total Coliforms (TC), fecal Coliforms (FC) and helminth eggs (HE). The sample has values of 2.8 × 10⁷ MPN/100 ml, 8.48 × 10⁶ MPN/100 ml and 470 HE/L is regarded to TC, FC and HH, respectively. The HE identified in the wastewaters were Diphyllobothrium latum, Ascaris lumbricoides, Hymenolepis nana and Toxocara canis. From several gums, Hydroxypropyl triammonium chloride guar gum (HPTAC-guar) was selected as the most adequate coagulant-flocculant for the class of municipal wastewater (MWW). A diminution of 82% for TC, 94% for FC and 99% for HE was obtained. Besides, the reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and turbidity removals were 46% and 39% respectively. The natural gum mixed with Ca(OH)₂, obtained removals of 52% for TC, 100% for HE, 47% for COD and 30% for turbidity.

Coagulation; Fecal Coliforms; Flocculation; Helminth Eggs; Total Coliforms; Wastewaters

E. Zamudio-Pérez, N. Rojas-Valencia, I. Chairez and L. Torres, "Coliforms and Helminth Eggs Removals by Coagulation-Flocculation Treatment Based on Natural Polymers," Journal of Water Resource and Protection, Vol. 5 No. 11, 2013, pp. 1027-1036. doi: 10.4236/jwarp.2013.511108.