Ali Ahmad Aghapour - Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Engineering, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, UrmiaUniversity of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
Sepideh Nemati - MSc of Environmental Health Engineering, Student Research Committee, School of Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
Amir Mohammadi - MSc of Environmental Health Engineering, Student Research Committee, School of Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
Heshmatollah Nourmoradi - Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Engineering, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran

Background: Nitrate is an acute and well-known hazardous contaminant, and its contamination of watersources has been a growing concern worldwide in recent years. This study evaluated the feasibility of nitrateremoval from water using the traditional coagulants alum and ferric chloride with lower concentrationsthan those used in the conventional coagulation process.Methods: In this research, two coagulants, alum and ferric chloride, were compared for their efficiencyin removing nitrate in a conventional water treatment system. The removal process was done in a batchsystem (jar test) to examine the effects of coagulant dosages and determine the conditions required toachieve optimum results.Results: The results revealed that ferric chloride at an initial dose rate of 4 mg/L reduced nitrateconcentration from 70 mg/L to less than the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline value (50 mg/LN-NO3). However, the removal efficiency of alum was not salient to significant nitrate reduction.Conclusion: In conclusion, ferric chloride was more effective than alumin removing NO-3, even in commondosage range, and can be considered a cost-effective and worthy treatment option to remediate nitratepollutedwater. Furthermore, the removal of nitrate by coagulation can be simple and more economicalthan other treatment alternatives.

Nitrate, Water treatment, Coagulation, Alum, Ferric chloride