Evaluation of potato starch as a flocculant in domestic wastewater treatment

Abstract

The efficient use and management of water is a necessity that must be addressed immediately. Water is not only essential for life, but also has properties that make it indispensable for any human activity. The inappropriate way in which much of the wastewater is being used This makes this water source, which is sometimes reused for irrigation, a potential problem for health, soil and groundwater contamination, and eutrophication of water bodies.

Water is considered contaminated when its chemical, physical, or biological characteristics or composition are altered. The increase in wastewater generation has forced engineers to seek, find, and apply efficient, autonomous, and economically viable treatment and purification alternatives. Among these alternatives is the use of organic or naturally sourced polymers, which, unlike the synthetic polymers generally used in conventional treatment plants, have minimal or no toxicity, since in many cases they are used as foodstuffs. are better removed by the environment, less harmful, environmentally harmless for removing turbidity from water, and, in addition to the above, the Boyacá department has the capacity to be one of the largest producers of the highest quality tubers. For this purpose, native starch was obtained and chemically modified in the laboratory by acetylation. It was characterized by FTIR and SEM, and simulation tests (jar tests) were performed to determine the optimal concentration and dose of the solution to be applied, evaluating its turbidity, color, and pH. The results obtained indicate that potato starch, whether native or acetylated, is a good and favorable technical alternative to aluminum sulfate for coagulation-flocculation, since its removal percentages are similar. making it an adaptable, viable, and flexible technology option for conventional wastewater treatment plants, thus enabling adequate and safe reuse for other purposes.