1

Coagulation and Flocculation

Objective:

The jar test lab experiment was conducted using an alum solution with an aim of

observing, for waste water sample, the optimum dosage.

Materials and Procedure:

Apparatus Turbidy meter, Turbidity standards, Phipps bird six-place stirrer, Beakers, Pipettes

Reagent and samples Water samples, Turbidity standards, 0.5% alum solution

Jar test to determine the turbidity of a water sample using a HACH Turbid meter.

 One litre of the water sample was added to all the plastic beakers.

 The pH, alkalinity, and turbidity of the raw water was measured and recorded.

 A solution of Alum was prepared such that 1 ml of the solution contained an equivalence

of 5 mg Alum.

 Different volumes of Alum solution stock were added to the raw water sample that was to

be coagulated.

 The beaker was placed under the 6- places stirrer; the blades were immersing into the

beaker and the water sample stirred at maximum rpm of 95rpm.

 The contents of the test tube were transferred immediately to each beaker.

 The sample was then left to mix at 95 rpm for half a minute.

 The rpm was reduced to 25 rpm and the sample left to mix for a further twenty-six (26)

minutes.

 The flocculation process was observed and the observed changes recorded at regular

intervals, the time of first observed floc formation for each beaker was tabulated.
 2

 The process was halted when the flocs got bigger and started to settle.

 At the end of the mixing period, the stirrer was turned off and the mixture left for half an

hour for the flocs to settle out.

 The supernatant was then removed from each beaker and the turbidity determined.

Further, the pH and salinity of samples in each beaker were measured and recorded.

Alkalinity equation: [Alk.] = + 2[CO2-3] + [OH-] - [H+],

CALCULATIONS and DATA ANALYSIS:

The table below was used to tabulate the data collected during the experiment.

Table 1 Experimental results

Sample Initial Initial Initial Volume of Alum Final Final Final

(jar#) pH Alkalinity Tur stock Dosage pH Alkalinity Turbidity

(mg/L as (mg/L as
(NTU) (mL) (mg/L) (NTU)
CaCO3) CaCO3)

1 8.06 196 5.23 0 0 8.1 200 4.9

2 8.18 196 4.79 1 5 7.9 212 7.78

3 8.2 268 5.8 5 25 7.6 212 1.8

4 8 204 6 15 75 7.3 200 0.51

5 7.9 196 7.3 30 150 7.16 152 0.82

6 7.7 124 6.8 100 500 5.82 48 3.8

Image 1: Graph between final turbidity and alum dosage

 3

Final Turbidity vs Alum Dosage

9

Fimal Turbidity (NTU) 8

7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Alum Dosage (mg/L)

The table below describes the observations at particular time.

Table 2: Observations found according to the time

Elapsed time observations

0 Cloudy. Only small particles (all look the same)

1 Still cloudy, and only small particles (all look the same)

2 No observable change

5 After 6 min, increased from 25 to 30rpm light sedimentation in 4 and 6.

10 No observable change

20 2 and 3 are becoming more clear and larger particles.

25 No observable change

30 5 and 6 are still cloudy, 4 is a little less, 3 is more clear with some larger

particles, and 2 is the most clear and there are some large in the bottom.

 Graph shape is kind of sin curve first increasing and the decreasing and then again increasing.
 Optimum dosage of alum is 500 mg/L.
 Turbidity is increasing and then decreasing with the change in time.
 4

 Flock is increasing its shape by elapsed time.

 Initially alkali was increasing and decreasing but final alkali was only decreasing.
 Disperancies is in pH as it is changing way too much.
 The optimal range of pH is 7.5 to 8.2.
 Any doubts can be seen the table as it is make very clear.

Conclusion:

The measure of turbidity indicates how a liquid is clear relatively. Turbidity

causes water to be opaque. Thus, turbidity is a measure of optical aspect of water. The level of

water turbidity has a direct correlation of the quality of water. Since turbidity affects light

penetration, it may affect the habitat of organisms (aquatic life). In addition, the recreation value

of water bodies with high turbidity is low. Although particles that because turbidity may provide

cover for pathogens against disinfectants, there exist methods that can remove turbidity during

water treatment process.

References:

 American Public Health Association (2017). Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and
Wastewater, 23rd Edition, American Public Health Association, Washington D.C.
 Sawyer, C. N., McCarty, P.L, and Parkin, G.F. (2003). Chemistry for Environmental Engineering.
McGraw-Hill, New York, NY.
 Jenkins, D., Snoeyink, V.L., Ferguson, J.F., and Leckie, O. (1980). Water Chemistry: Laboratory
Manual, Third Edition. John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY.

Questions:

1. What are the causes of turbidity in natural water?

Answer: Natural water sources of turbidity include; particles of clay, silt particles, organic and

inorganic particles and naturally growing organism such as algae and planktons.3
 5

2. Name three coagulants used in water treatment and include their molecular formula in

your answer?

Answer:

 Alum – KAl (SO4)2.12H2O

 Ferric chloride – FeCl3

 Sodium aluminate – NaAlO2

3. Rank the following chemicals in increasing order of efficiency (lowest to highest) as

coagulating agents: (i) alum; (ii) sodium chloride, (iii) magnesium sulfate.

Answer:

 sodium chloride,
 magnesium sulfate
 and the most efficient is alum..

4. A raw water source has a turbidity of 15 NTU. Using this water, it is required to supply a

town with an average water demand of 30 MGD with a limit of 1 NTU. The turbidity

treatment unit in the water treatment plant is capable of reducing the turbidity to 0.5 TU.

What fraction of the raw water is to be treated in the turbidity treatment unit to meet the

design goals? The water will be filtered and disinfected after the turbidity removal.

Answer: 15 MGD.

5. What is pneumatic mixing? What are the key design variables for pneumatic mixing?

Answer: Pneumatic mixing is using air or air bubbles from a motor instead of utilizing

electricity.