Evaluation of the Vicia faba seed flour efficiency for turbidity removal in drinking water treatment. Case study: Copacabana, Bolivia

Abstract

It is evaluated the efficiency of Vicia faba (i.e., bean) seed flour, in water turbidity removal at drinking water treatment plants. The evaluation of the bean's coagulant potential was carried out through the use of extracted aqueous and saline crude extract of the pure and delipidified flour. The experimental design with three levels and three factors, pointed out to the coagulant dose and the flocculation rate as the most important variables. The optimal coagulant dose of saline raw bean flour extract and the flocculation rate determined throughout the tests, resulted in a 49% reduction in turbidity in synthetic water (kaolinite), 33% in tank water from the sump tank of the Potable Water Service Provider and Municipal Sanitary Sewerage (EPSA) of Copacabana and 91.2% of the water adduction point, which is located on the beach of the city of Copacabana.