JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

The goal of this study was to evaluate tannic acid as a coagulant in turbidity removal. Tests were designed using Taguchi method and carried out on the synthetic and natural turbid samples. In order to optimize turbidity removal by tannic acid, seven factors including pH, coagulant dosage, rapid mixing rate, slow mixing rate, slow mixing time, sedimentation time and initial turbidity were investigated. The results revealed that in optimum conditions,  tannic acid could n remove up to 71 percent of synthetic turbidity and 66 percent of natural turbidity; also, tannic acid showed more coagulation activity in the lower initial turbidities. ANOVA analysis showed that initial turbidity and slow mixing time were the most important parameters in the turbidity removal by tannic acid. In general, this study showed that tannic acid was capable of removing turbidity and could be used instead of common coagulants in the preliminary treatment.