The use of conventional systems for the treatment of textile industry effluents has made it possible to meet environmental regulations. Due to high cost of the treatment facilities, its implementation is scarce, especially in developing countries, where effluents are discharged into water bodies without any treatment. The internal mass of the Pods of the plant species C. fistula (amaltas) contains natural polyelectrolytes which were used as coagulants to clarify turbid textile industry wastewaters. In laboratory tests, direct filtration of turbid wastewater from textile units (dying units: DU and finishing units: FU) with internal mass of the pods of C. fistula as coagulant, produced a substantial improvement in the aesthetic and microbiological quality of wastewater from textile units. During the study, following parameters were studied before and after the treatment with C. fistula dose: pH, conductivity, hardness , turbidity, salinity, sulfate, total alkalinity as CaCO3 , chloride, fluoride, total dissolved solids (TDS), nitrate, nitrite, dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Equilibrium data for hardness were fitted using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm model. The Langmuir model fitted well to sorption data of textile industry (FU) whereas textile industry (DU) sorption data was better described by Freundlich isotherm model. The present method appears suitable for industrial wastewater treatment in heavily industrialized areas of developing and developed countries. This natural coagulant produced ’low risk' wastewater; however, additional disinfection or treatment should be practiced during localized high pollution.


RAZIYA NADEEM ,RAKSHANDA NAWAZ ,MUHAMMAD NADEEM ZAFAR ,MUHAMMAD ASIF HANIF ,HAQ NAWAZ BHATTI ,