UTILIZATION OF DEFATTED COPRA (Cocos nucifera) AS A NATURAL

COAGULANT FOR SURFACE WATER TREATMENT

Mark August M. Atienza, Mark Lloyd C. Capio, Jackie Meileen B. Yurong

Chemical and Food Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Architecture and Fine Arts
Batangas State University, Main Campus II, Alangilan, Batangas City

Water supply is one of the most important necessities of living creatures, specifically
human beings. Third world countries like the Philippines are experiencing problems on having
clean water supply especially on times of calamities like typhoons. The cost of water treatment is
increasing and the quality of river water is not stable due to suspended and colloidal particles by
land development and high storm runoff during the rainy seasons. That is why there has been
resurgence in the interest in finding other natural coagulants to be used for water treatment
especially in developing countries. It has been found that defatted copra is one of the most
effective clarifiers. This study utilized Cocos nucifera as a natural coagulant for treating surface
water. It determined the significant difference on physicochemical properties (pH, color,
turbidity, TDS & TSS) of the treated surface water upon varying dosage (0.1, 0.2 & 0.3 g/L) of
the natural coagulant and stirring time (5, 8 & 11 mins.); determined the physicochemical
properties of water before treatment compare with that of the best conditions and conformed to
the Class AA water standards set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The coconuts were collected from the market in Batangas City. The collected coconut
were fired in a kiln to produce copra. The surface water samples were gathered from Laguna De
Bay from the shore of Brgy. Malinta, Los Banos, Laguna. The surface water samples were tested
for their initial values of pH using Glass Electrode Method, Turbidity using Nephelometric
Method, Color using Visual Comparison Method, TSS and TDS using Gravimetric Method.
Water treatment experiments were performed at the Chemical Engineering Analytical
Laboratory. Water samples were tested and analyzed for the values of pH, TSS and TDS at the
Chemical Engineering Analytical Laboratory. For color and turbidity, the samples were tested
and analyzed in Optimal Laboratories Inc., Lipa City. Water treatment experiments were carried
using a single stirring equipment for rapid mixing and stirring plates for slow mixing.

The dosage variation that provided a higher reduction of color is 0.1 g/L. The variation of
0.1 g/L and 11 mins provided the higher reduction of turbidity. The variation of 0.1 g/L and 5
mins provided the higher reduction of TDS. The variation of 0.1 g/L and 11 mins provided the
higher reduction of TSS. It is determined that the dosage of 0.1 g/L and stirring time of 11 mins
are the best conditions.

Upon comparing the properties of the treated surface water to the Class AA standard of
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, pH, TDS and TSS conforms to the
standards. So the natural coagulant from defatted copra is proved to be effective for turbidity
reduction and suspended solids removal.

Keywords: natural coagulant, deffated copra, surface water treatment