On-site treatment of turbid river water using chitosan, a natural organic polymer coagulant.
Chitosan, acetylate of chitin, is a biodegradable cationic polymer. The objective of this study is to assess the applicability of chitosan as an on-site treatment agent of turbid water caused by river construction works and other diffused pollutions. The results of jar-tests indicate that floc of chitosan is much larger than that of aluminium sulfate, and turbidity treated by chitosan under moving water conditions is much lower than that of aluminium sulfate. Chitosan is applied to Imou River in Yamaguchi prefecture, where river construction work is going on. St.1 is located just below the construction work, St.2 is located about 250 m downstream from St.1, and St.3 is located about 350 m downstream from St.2. Initial turbidity of each station is 1,100, 937 and 313 NTU, respectively. By applying chitosan at St.1, turbidity of each station is drastically reduced to 1,100, 12 and 0 NTU. Chitosan could be helpful to reduce problems caused by turbidity in rivers.
Sekine
M
M
Civil & Environmental Engineering, Yamaguchi University, 2-16-1 Tokiwadai, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8611, Japan. ms@env.civil.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
Takeshita
A
A
Oda
N
N
Ukita
M
M
Imai
T
T
Higuchi
T
T
D000534:Alum Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002412:Cations; D048271:Chitosan / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D045483:Rivers; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014867:Water; D014873:Water Pollutants; D014876:Water Pollution; D018508:Water Purification / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D014881:Water Supply
D000534:Alum Compounds; D002412:Cations; D011108:Polymers; D014873:Water Pollutants; D014867:Water; C041524:aluminum sulfate; D048271:Chitosan