The Potential Use of Nephelium lappaceum Seed as Coagulant–Coagulant Aid in the Treatment of Semi-Aerobic Landfill Leachate

Abstract

Chemical-based coagulants and flocculants are commonly used in the coagulation–flocculation process. However, the drawbacks of using these chemical materials have triggered researchers to find natural materials to substitute or reduce the number of chemical-based coagulants and flocculants. This study examines the potential application of Nephelium lappaceum seeds as a natural coagulant–coagulant aid with Tin (IV) chloride (SnCl4) in eliminating suspended solids (SS), colour, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from landfill leachate. Results showed that the efficiency of Nephelium lappaceum was low when used as the main coagulant in the standard jar test. When SnCl4 was applied as a single coagulant, as much as 98.4% of SS, 96.8% of colour and 82.0% of COD was eliminated at an optimal dose of 10.5 g/L and pH 7. The higher removal efficiency of colour (88.8%) was obtained when 8.40 g/L of SnCl4 was applied with a support of 3 g/L of Nephelium lappaceum. When SnCl4 was utilised as a coagulant, and Nephelium lappaceum seed was used as a flocculant, the removal of pollutants generally improved. Overall, this research showed that Nephelium lappaceum seed is a viable natural alternative for treating landfill leachate as a coagulant aid.

Phytochemical Composition and Bioactivities of Aqueous Extract of Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L. cv. Rong Rian) Peel

“…A previous study showed that different parts of rambutan or solvents affect the presence of the extracted bioactive compounds. Aziz et al reported that the extract from rambutan seeds in Malaysia contains the functional group of O-H, N-H, and C=O [26]. Rakariyatham et al described how the water extraction of rambutan peel showed p-Coumaroyl glucose, vanillic acid, hexoside, carboxylic acid, ellagic acid, corilagin, and geraniin.…”