Introduction.

In this research project, natural coagulants Opuntia ficus-indica and Moringa oleífera were used, and their performance against aluminum sulfate (Alum) was compared.

Objective.

Evaluate the performance of three coagulants for the removal of suspended and dissolved solids to treat the water of the Magdalena River.

Materials and Methods.

Initially, unit operations such as peeling, drying, crushing and sieving (6 mm mesh) were used to convert Moringa oleifera and Opuntia ficus into powders. The main variables to be analyzed were turbidity and the correlation of turbidity and absorbance, which were found with the help of a turbidimeter and a spectrophotometer, respectively. The dose of clarifiers to be used for the samples was determined using an experimental design of 8x3x2.

Results.

The results were compared with the coagulants, both separately and mixed, to verify if the use of aluminum sulfate in the given percentages alters the clarification. We compared the acceptable values of the physicochemical parameters for drinking water of 2 UNT for turbidity and between 0.10 and 0.20 for absorbance, indicated in the Colombian regulations.

Conclusion.

The obtained results allowed to conclude that mixing Moringa oleifera and Opuntia ficus can remove a percentage of turbidity greater than 90.0%, in comparison with the mixture of alum and natural coagulants, which can remove at least 99.0% of turbidity in the water. In turn, it was possible to evidence a decrease in the solids by means of absorbance.