Moringa oleifera seed as alternative natural coagulant for potential application in water treatment: a review

Abstract

Historically, there is evidence to suggest that communities in the developing countries are still using plant-based materials as one of the strategies for purifying drinking water. In this review, the coagulant properties of Moringa oleifera seeds extract were quantitatively evaluated toward suitable wastewater treatment and examining its coagulation mechanism. The seeds are rich in bio-active components and also used as a natural coagulant for effective water treatment. The seeds extract operates predominantly by bridging coagulation mechanism and operates through charge neutralization. This natural ingredient of an organic polymer is essential as it contains acrylamide monomers that are harmless to human’s health and lesser expensive as compared to conventional chemicals since they are available in most rural communities. The application of this readily available natural product as part of point of- use in water treatment technology may offer a practical, cheap, appropriate and sustainable solution for producing potable water in some developing nations.