Turbidity is a characteristic impurity of groundwater in Pakistan. Turbid water is not suitable for drinking purposes. The main objective of this study is to reduce water turbidity using natural coagulant, extracted from pine cones. The coagulation activity of coagulant is tested using synthetic turbid water. Coagulant activity is affected by various factors such as coagulant dose, water turbidity, pH, extract density and settling time. The optimum coagulant dose and water turbidities are fixed; 0.5 ml/L, 67, and 75 NTU, respectively. The highest coagulation activities are observed at pH values 2 and 12. Further, coagulation activity of pine cone extract is maximized to 82% when its density is 1.8 g/cm3. Moreover, most of the coagulation activity takes place in the first hour. The results recommend the potential use of pine cone extract for turbid water purification.
Keywords: Biochemistry; Environmental science; Natural hazards; Natural product chemistry.