Comparison of Synthetic and Natural Organic Polymers as Flocculant for Textile Wastewater Treatment

Performance of synthetic organic polymer (polyacrylamide) and natural organic polymers (pectin) asflocculant in coagulation-flocculation treatment will be assessed. Analysis of functional group of organicpolymer was done by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy - Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR).Response Surface Methodology - Central Composite Design (RSM-CCD) was used to evaluate the interactioneffects of pH, coagulant dose and flocculant dose. The experiment was conducted in lab scale of 500mL ofsample textile wastewater with six paddle of conventional jar test. Trimmed Spearman-Karber method has beenused to estimate median lethal concentration (LC ) values and 50 their confidence intervals. The result showspolyacrylamide added in the treatment was the best at optimum pH 5, coagulant dose at 275 mg/ L andflocculant dose at 35 mg/ L with 88 and 80% removal. In contrast, additions of natural organic flocculant onlymanage to remove 54.2 and 67 % at the optimum pH 5, coagulant and flocculant dosage at 427.4 and 21.9 mg/L respectively. However, polyacrylamide treatment claimed to be more toxic based on lethal concentration (LC50)at 17 % compare to natural organic flocculant at 34%.