Fuentes Molina, NataliaMolina Rodríguez, Emiro JoséAriza, Carla Patricia2020-12-102020-12-102016Producción + Limpia - Julio - Diciembre de 2016. Vol.11, No. 21909-0455http://hdl.handle.net/10567/2893Surface water is most important as a source for supply, but not all of it is suitable for consumption. It is necessary to treat it by combining physical and chemical processes that require the use of coagulants such as the aluminum sulfate, a substance that is efficient but it is also harmful for health, as human beings bio-accumulate it.Objective. Evaluate the efficiency of the natural coagulants: Moringa Oleífera, Opuntia cactus, seaweed and starch, to clarify human consumption water, as a substitute of the aluminum sulfate in batch and continuous systems. Materials and methods. Water samples from the Cesar river were analyzed during sunny and rainy periods, representing low and high turbidity. The biomasses were analyzed with and without chemical pre-treatments (Ca(OH)2, CaCL2, NaOH y NaCl). Tests were performed by means of two systems that simulated the coagulation and flocculation stages, with several doses. The control variables were color, turbidity, OD, ST, conductivity, COD and pH. Results.The highest removal efficiencies were found with pre-treatments, except with the cactus, finding 88.26% for moringa using Ca(OH)2, 79.73% for starch with NaOH; 81.14% for algae with CaCL2 and 98.41% for cactus, which is the most efficient. An efficient behavior was obtained from the continuous system with similar conditions to those obtained from the batch system.Conclusions.The optimal conditions of the natural coagulants were determined, demonstrating their efficiency, safety and economy for water treating, with less mud generation, thanks to the adsorption and load neutralization mechanisms.esAcceso abiertoCorporación Universitaria LasallistaÁrea Metropolitana del Valle de AburráCoagulantesTratamiento de aguasinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAcces