Effects of De-Oiled Jute Seed and Cottonseed Extracts as Natural Polymeric Coagulants for Surface Water Treatment

Developing countries are currently facing intense drinking water shortages due to paucity of funds to set-up potable water treatment plants. This has led to the outbreak of water-borne diseases resulting in huge medical spending for the government. Employing natural biopolymers (Cottonseed (Gossypium hirsutum) [CS] extracts and de-oiled Jute seed (Corchorus olitorius) [JS]) for surface water treatment presents an alternative to improving the quality of drinking water in rural communities. This study was therefore aimed at comparing the effectiveness of the two natural bio-polymers for improving surface water quality. The oils were extracted using n-hexane as extractor solvent (with water at about 40-70°C) for six (6) hours and the seed residues were used to prepare extract stock solutions for the water treatment. Measured water samples (100 ml) were treated using the bio-polymer extracts employing different doses (10, 20, 30, and 40 ml). Physico-chemical analysis of the treated samples using CS and JS extracts yielded optimum treatment values of 7.2 and 6.89 for pH; 24.45 and 19.48 NTU for turbidity; 92.41 and 0.52 μs/cm for conductivity; 120.55 and 149.67 mg/l for BOD while 208.82 and 237.32 mg/l were recorded for COD. These corresponds to total reduction efficiencies of 14.98 and 34.31% (pH); 32.19 and 58.37% (Conductivity), 55.5% and 64.56% (turbidity), 36.86 and 60.4% (BOD) and 52.34 and 64.40% (COD) for CS and JS respectively. These results show the potentials and limitations of the two biopolymers as alternative coagulants if applied at optimum concentrations. They can be utilized to reduce waterborne diseases in rural communities lacking basic water treatment facilities.