DOI: https://doi.org/10.55373/mjchem.v26i5.397

Keywords: Aloe vera; coconut husk; lakes, natural coagulant; water quality

Abstract

Population growth in Shah Alam, Selangor, has increased the demand for water supply, whereby the extraction from water bodies such as rivers and lakes has become the alternative. However, heavy pollution has significantly degraded the water quality in this surface water. Therefore, treatment is compulsory to upgrade drinking water quality before it is supplied to consumers. The coagulation and flocculation processes are crucial in water treatment. Conventionally, chemical coagulants are used, but this practice will generate high residue in the sludge and is deemed dangerous to the environment. Therefore, new alternatives, such as natural coagulants, can be substantial. Here, this innovation aims to evaluate the efficiency of natural coagulants using aloe vera and coconut husk in treating the water samples from Shah Alam lakes, Selangor. From the results, the water quality index (WQI) before the treatment was classified as Class IV, which is only suitable for irrigation. After the treatment, the result shows turbidity removal of 67.98% and 78.96% for aloe vera and coconut husk, respectively. The total suspended solid (TSS) has been achieved for both bio-coagulants (96.50% and 97.77% for the percentage removal). Later, 71.62% and 61.54% were determined for aloe vera and coconut husk for ammonia-nitrogen removal. Meanwhile, for the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), the highest removal was achieved by the treatment of aloe vera (97.80%). Therefore, it is proven that aloe vera and coconut husk can be substituted for water treatment. They are considered sustainable green technologies that can be adapted to the water treatment processes, providing a reassuring solution for the environment.