AUTHOR=Konkobo Frédéric Anderson , Savadogo Paul Windinpsidi , Diao Mamounata , Dakuyo Roger , Dicko Mamoudou Hama 

TITLE=Evaluation of the effectiveness of some local plant extracts in improving the quality of unsafe water consumed in developing countries

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Environmental Science

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1134984

DOI=10.3389/fenvs.2023.1134984

ISSN=2296-665X

ABSTRACT=This study highlights the possibility of using plant extracts as bio-coagulants to replace Aluminum sulfate in the process of raw water potabilization. For this purpose, nine plants were identified by an investigation and their effectiveness was evaluated in the laboratory by coagulation/flocculation on surface waters. Thus, out of the nine plants identified, five extracts showed a very low coagulant activity in the reduction of water samples turbidity (maximum abatement of 1.03%): These are the seeds of Acacia nilotica, Adansonia digitata, Balanites aegyptiaca, Tamarindus indica and leaves of Capparis corymbosa. Two extracts showed an average activity, namely Aloe vera sap (20.7%) and Opuntia ficus indica sap (32.25%).  Two other extracts which are Moringa oleifera seeds and Boscia senegelensis seeds, showed a very good activity (respectively 84.83% and 82.97% after 1 h of decantation). By fixing the optimal concentration of 1 g/l for the treatment with Moringa oleifera seeds, we obtained a water of 4.6 NTU after 2 h of decantation, which is about 98% of abatement. The treatment with Boscia senegelensis seeds also allowed to obtain for 2.5 g/l a water of 4.9 NTU after 2 h of decantation. The combined action of Moringa and Boscia bio-coagulants and cactus and Aloe mucilages reduced the decanting time to 15 minutes. These two treatments induced a slight increase of the minerals initially present in the water and a reduction of almost 99% of the pathogenic microorganisms. Thus, Boscia senegelensis and Moringa oleifera seeds appear as very effective bio-coagulants compared to Aluminum sulfate. So they constitute an alternative to the lack of access to drinking water especially for developing countries.