Vegetable Oil Refinery Wastewater Treatment by Using the Cactus as a Bio-flocculant in the Coagulation-Flocculation Process

Industrial wastewater has a considerable environmental impact on the environment. Wastewater from oil refining, which has been removed from oils, grease, detergents, and phenol, is one of the effluents which present a particular danger to the environment. In this study, we used bio-coagulants to reduce pollution by coagulation-flocculation of wastewater from oil refining. This study shows an exciting contribution to the valuation of natural resources such as cacti in Morocco. Bio-coagulant is a novel biodegradable organic flocculant extracted from prickly pear juice. The results showed that the extract’s optimal dosage varies between 10 and 40 mg/L, leading to removal yields ranging from 40 to 90%. Global data, based on the use of cactus juice as a coagulant in coagulation-flocculation processes for the treatment of oil refinery wastewater, showed removal percentages between 86 and 99%, 62 and 76%, and 67 and 95% for turbidity, COD, and discoloration, respectively. Indeed, bio-flocculants are effective for treating process wastewater on a laboratory scale using a 50-L pilot with the lowest cost. However, more research is needed to explore the scaling of the laboratory scale to well-illustrate the various parameters that drive practical application on a large scale. The bio-flocculant used is a new biodegradable natural product which does not affect the environment compared to other synthetic flocculants. It is of definite interest for the treatment of waste water rich in oils and greases producing less sludge.