Natural Coagulants Extracted from Leaf, Shell, and Kernel of Jatropha curcas for Turbidity Treatment

This research investigates the extraction of coagulants from the leaves, kernel shells, and kernels of Jatropha curcas, analyzing the effects of pH, temperature, and wastewater turbidity on coagulant activity. The coagulant extracts were obtained by mixing water with dried leaves, shells, and kernel samples in a proportion of 1:50. Turbidity removal was used as an indicator of coagulant activity. Coagulant activity was evaluated by applying different concentrations of the extracts (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6% v/v) to synthetic wastewater prepared at 770 NTU. The results showed maximum turbidity removal values of 81.2%, 76.6%, and 66.7%, identifying optimum dosages of 1, 0.5, and 4% v/v for the leaf, shell, and kernel extracts, respectively. These optimum dosages were subsequently applied to pharmaceutical wastewater, tap water, Dead Sea water, and groundwater samples. The turbidity removal results indicated that the extracts from all three fractions performed most effectively at pH 3, followed by notable turbidity reduction at pH 9. Increasing temperature further enhanced the coagulating activity of all extracts. Among the three, the Jatropha leaf extract exhibited the highest coagulant efficiency, except in the case of Dead Sea water, where its performance was limited due to high salinity. Overall, turbidity removal ranged between 80% and 90% in all water samples, except for the Dead Sea sample, where removal was 63%. This study concludes that the leaf fraction of Jatropha curcas possesses the highest coagulating power.