Application of Circular Economy to Natural Coagulation / Flocculation of Surface Water: A Review
Application of Circular Economy to Natural Coagulation / Flocculation of Surface Water: A Review

Summary/Abstract: Water treatment is one of the most researched areas due to water resources' importance for humans and the environment. Surface water pollution seems unavoidable because of increasing industrialization, which results in wastewater discharge into surface water bodies. Coagulation/flocculation is one of the practical approaches used in surface water treatment. However, the drawbacks of conventional chemical coagulants have been the main challenges that prompted research towards finding greener and sustainable alternatives such as natural coagulants. This review was intended to briefly glance at the natural coagulation/flocculation of surface water, the components of plant-based materials responsible for their coagulation activities and the circular economy of water. The review results showed that phytochemicals responsible for various coagulating activities include tannin, saponin, d-galactose, d-rhamnose, d-xylose, l-arabinose and galacturonic acid. In addition, these compounds function through different mechanisms. Also, the function of the active coagulants is related to the presence of specific functional groups. The review also indicates that the research on applying natural coagulants for surface water treatment is rapidly increasing globally. However, very few pieces of work were reported from Africa. Thus, more work needs to be done in this region. Furthermore, the circular economy of surface water related to natural coagulation/flocculation needs the attention of researchers as this approach can help manage surface water resources sustainably.

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