The action of promoting the removal of particles in water requires coagulant substances, which destabilize the equilibrium of the mixture in aqueous solution; this is needed to perform the coagulation and flocculation operations, in the treatment of drinking water and wastewater; especially for the removal of solids with diameters smaller than 0.2 mm; this operation is carried out with chemical compounds capable of breaking the ionic stability of a mixture and segregating the solids that cannot be separated without this operation; The plants tested to be used as coagulants or flocculants have had a traditional use, which indicates their ability to carry out the separation of solids. The plants described in this chapter are Melocactus sp., Opuntia sp., Stenocereus griseus, Cereus forbesii, Aloe arborescens, Aloe vera, and Kabuli chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), of these plants have been used different parts, either their stems, their fruits, or other parts of the plant that have demonstrated a coagulating or flocculating capacity.
Part of the book: Desalination and Water Treatment