Abstract:

This dataset reports sedimentation rates for kaolin clay suspended in hard water with the addition of two different mucilage gum fractions (gelling extracts and non-gelling extracts). Mucilage gum was extracted from the Opuntia ficus-indica cactus and was added to acid washed kaolin in hard water. Mucilage was also added to deionized water as a control. The settling rates, flocculation activity, and pH for various concentrations of gelling and non-gelling extracts are reported with and without the addition of calcium chloride.

Suggested Citation:

Buttice, Audrey, Norma Alcantar. 2017. Dataset for: Sediment Removal with the Opuntia ficus-indica Cactus: A Water Purification Method for Communities in Latin America. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N7N29VB7

Publications:

Buttice, A. L., & Alcantar, N. A. (2014). Sediment Removal with the Opuntia ficus-indica Cactus: A Water Purification Method for Communities in Latin America. Comprehensive Water Quality and Purification, 98–103. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-382182-9.00007-4

Purpose:

This research was conducted to determine the effect of a natural flocculant (Cactus Mucilage) to removed contaminated particles similar to the bottom-of-the-ocean sediments after the 2010 Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Data Parameters and Units:

worksheet 50 AWK No CaCl2 - 50 g/L acid washed kaolin no calcium chloride, hard water. concentration of Non-gelling extract (NE) (mg/L) concentration of gelling extract (GE) (mg/L) Date (MM/DD/YYYY) - date experiment conducted flocculation activity (1/Optical Density of experimental treatment - 1/Optical Density of control) settling rate (cm/min) pH worksheet - 50 AWK CaCl2 - 50 g/L acid-washed kaolin. 20 mM of Calcium Chloride, hard water Date (MM/DD/YYYY) concentration of Non-gelling extract (NE) (mg/L) concentration of gelling extract (GE) (mg/L) Date (MM/DD/YYYY) - date experiment conducted flocculation activity (1/Optical Density of experimental treatment - 1/Optical Density of control) settling rate (cm/min) pH

Methods:

Cactus mucilage was obtained from Opuntia ficus-indica Cactus. Non-gelling extract (NE) and gelling extract (GE) were extracted from the cactus. Surrogate hard water (HW) was prepared in the lab to a final pH of 8.34. To test the effects of calcium addition, calcium chloride was dissolved in hard water, filtered using a 0.22 micron CA membrane tube top filter and then diluted. Experiments were conducted in columns prepared with 10 mL pipette tips with the top broken off and the bottom sealed with parafilm. Acid-washed kaolin clay was suspended in hard water for 24 hours before experiments at 50 g/L in 15 mL centrifuge tubes. The appropriate measurement of stock mucilage and calcium chloride solutions were added to the centrifuge tubes. The centrifuge tubes were then vortexed and the solution was poured into the columns. After 15 minutes the solution was sampled using a Pasteur pipette and the optical density was measured. Optical density vs. Mucilage concentration. The optical density is related to light absorbance, which relates to how a solution would absorb electromagnetic energy, depending on its composition and concentration. The higher the optical density in a given media, the slower an electromagnetic wave travels in the solution, and the higher its concentration.

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