Evaluation of natural coagulant Moringa oleifera Lam. in the treatment of dairy wastewater at different pH

Dairy wastewater is the residue derived from the milk beneficiation process and its derivatives. It is considered a major cause for the pollution attributed to the dairy industry. Currently, dairy wastewater is underutilized and mostly discarded improperly, causing a lot of environmental problems due to its complex biodegradation process. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of different coagulants in the process of coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation in the treatment of simulated dairy wastewater. The capacity of color and turbidity removal when using different concentrations at different pH levels was also evaluated. The tests were carried out in a jar-test, using a speed of 120 rpm and a time of 2-20 min and rapid mixing at 20 rpm for slow mixing, followed by 60 min of sedimentation at the end of this process. The study confirmed the coagulating agent Moringa oleifera (MO) as a promising coagulant for removing color and turbidity in dairy wastewater, removing 91% of color at a concentration of 50 mg L-1 at pH 5 and 92% of turbidity at a concentration of 200 mg L-1 at pH 5.