No abstract

The use of plant-based coagulants (natural coagulants) in wastewater treatments has potential advantages over the inorganic coagulants used commercially. This study evaluated organic coagulants cationic hemicelluloses (CH) synthesized from peanut shell and associated with commercial cationic tannin (TSG) for use as the primary coagulation/flocculation treatment, followed by solid-liquid separation via sedimentation/flotation by dissolved air (DAF). The assay was carried out in a jar test on effluent from a multinational industry in the grain processing sector, located in the city of Uberlândia-MG. Coagulation diagrams were determined using the data spatial interpolation method of the Kringing regression model and the Tukey test was used to assess the difference in the results obtained. The optimum removal points  of turbidity removal efficiency (TRE), greater than 98%, were achieved for the TSG/CH association with 200 mg L-1 (pH 10.72), 350 mg L-1 (pH 9.72), 500 mg L-1 (pH 9.56) in sedimentation. For the separation by DAF, the association of TSG/CH resulted in TRE values greater than 95% at dosages of 350 mg L-1 (pH 9.59) and 500 mg L-1 (pH 7.92). Furthermore, the results indicate that the associated use of TSG/CH, a coagulation aid, favored the coupling of the DAF bubble-particle, resulting in a smaller volume of sludge. In addition, CH expanded the action of TSG to the basic region. Keywords: agroindustry residue, natural organic coagulants, primary physical chemical treatment.