THE POTENTIAL USE OF BASIL SEEDS AS A BIOCOAGULANT IN REDUCING WATER TURBIDITY

Abstract

Background: The excessive use of chemical coagulants such as alum can cause health problems including tissue damage, detoxification issues, kidney excretion problems, and nervous system disorders. Research has shown that the consumption of alum at a dose of 800 mg/kg body weight per day can cause cell degeneration in Wistar rats. Methods: The research method used is an experiment with a pre-post test control group design. The subject studied was basil seeds used as a bio-coagulant in pond water at Poltekkes Surabaya. The dose variations used in this study were 0.5 ml, 1 ml, 1.5 ml, and 2 ml. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test to examine differences in water turbidity levels. Results. Based on the results, the use of basil seed bio-coagulant increased turbidity values with an average of 14.52 NTU for the control, 23.35 NTU for the 0.5 ml dose, 27.95 NTU for the 1 ml dose, 31.6 NTU for the 1.5 ml dose, and 29.4 NTU for the 2 ml dose. Conclusion: Based on the results obtained, it is known that no confidence was gained in the use of basil seeds as a bio-coagulant to reduce turbidity.