Optimization of Primary Wastewater Treatment from the Fishing Industry using Chitosan and Aluminum Sulfate

Gabriela León Arrieta A.; Nuñez Chacca M.A.; Milagros Ruiz-Huaman C. · Proceedings of the LACCEI international Multi-conference for Engineering, Education and Technology (2025) · DOI: 10.18687/laccei2025.1.1.529

Resumen

Wastewater from the primary processing of aquatic resources, characterized by its high pollution load, poses an environmental and health risk. While coagulation-flocculation with chemical agents has been the traditional method, its use is associated with negative impacts, which has prompted the search for more sustainable alternatives. This research aimed to evaluate the performance of aluminum sulfate (chemical coagulant) and chitosan (natural coagulant) in reducing turbidity of wastewater from an Artisanal Fishing Landing Site (DPA) and, in addition, to calculate the pH variation and the volume of primary sludge. To do this, wastewater samples were collected, and coagulation-flocculation tests were performed using the jar test method, applying different doses of coagulant (5, 12.5 and 25 mg/L) and adjusting specific times of rapid mixing, slow mixing and sedimentation. The results indicate that aluminum sulfate achieved a greater turbidity reduction (74.01%) with an optimal dose of 20 mg/L, while chitosan achieved a comparable reduction (61.72%) with a lower dose (12.5 mg/L). In addition, chitosan had a lower influence on the pH of the treated water (variation of 0.03) and a lower generation of sludge (1.70 mL/L) as opposed to aluminum sulfate (pH variation of 0.17 and 5.50 mL/L of sludge produced). These findings demonstrate that chitosan, in addition to being a sustainable alternative, exhibits comparable performance to aluminum sulfate in reducing the turbidity of fishery effluents.

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas