Turbidity Removal from Synthetic Bentonite Suspension Using Opuntia Ficus-Indica (Cactus)

The effectiveness of Opuntia ficus-indica (cactus) juice, a macromolecular flocculant, in removing turbidity of mineral origin (synthetic suspension of bentonite clay) has been studied in this paper. The results obtained in this study have clearly showed good performance in terms of turbidity elimination treatment. In this study, it has been possible to reduce turbidity at different doses. This reduction has exceeded 83%, 82%, and 97% for 0.5g/L, 2.5 g/L, and 5 g/L of initial dryness, respectively, and each initial concentration of dryness has corresponded to an optimal dosage varying from 2.64 to 7.92 g/kg DM. The obtained results have led to propose that the predominant mechanism involved during bentonite flocculation is adsorption and bridging. The effect of pH on turbidity removal and floc formation using cactus juice has been studied for bentonite suspension (2g/l). Only in acidic pH there was no flocculation activity. In fact, this plant has shown itself to be a biodegradable and harmless flocculant, and it is available for direct use.