Pauline kande

MPE/11/20

LAB REPORT ON JAR TEST

Introduction

Jar test is a practical means of determining the optimum dosage of coagulants or other chemicals
coagulant aids lime for pre adjustment etc. for the purpose of obtaining satisfactory coagulation
flocculation. The optimum dosage is determined on a trial and error basis thus the test offers versatility
in defining an optimum operational procedure. Different combination of chemicals within certain limits
may be optimized to achieve nearly the same end result or example a turbid water maybe coagulated
with aluminium or iron salt, with or without coagulant aid, with or without ph adjustment and with or
without additional alkalinity. Addition of alkalinity and Preheat adult adjustment may be a matter of
choice with certain limits or maybe imperative depending on chemical composition of the water under
study.

The purpose of this test is to estimate the minimum coagulant dose required to achieve certain water
quality goals. In other words, jar test helps to determine the right amount of treatment chemicals: the
lowest dose of chemicals that provides satisfactory settling is the dose used to treat the water. Jar Test
enables the correct choice and dosage of chemical coagulants aimed at removing suspended matter and
pollutants in water treated in wastewater treatment plants. Jar Test enables the correct choice and
dosage of chemical coagulants aimed at removing suspended matter and pollutants in water treated in
wastewater treatment plants. The most used coagulants are Lime (calcium hydroxide), Alum (aluminum
sulphate) and Iron salts (ferric or ferrous). Flocculation or Coagulation is fundamental in every water
treatment process and it is a propaedeutic step for sedimentation, filtration and disinfection before
distributing water for residential and industrial use.

Apparatus

 Multiple starter units

Apparatus consists of a blighted platform for four beakers and four mechanical stirrers usually
with variable speed
 Aluminium sulphate solution
 Four funnels with filters (whatman No.1) in each and four small beakers for the collection of the
filtrate
 four beakers of 500ml each for the experiment
 Turbidity meter**(wasn’t available)
 Stock solution of 100mg/L (coagulant usually the coagulant will be potassium aluminium
sulfate)
 Pipettes for dosing the coagulant
Procedure
1. Place 500ML of well mixed sample into each beaker and label the because 1,2,3 and 4.
2. Add the appropriate amounts of stock solution in order to arrive at the following coagulant
concentrations.
 Beaker number Mls of coagulant dose
1 1
2 3
3 5
4 7
3. the contents at 150rpm for 1 minute and at 40rpm for 15 minutes
4. Let’s settle for one hour
5. Observe the supernatant in the beakers and select as optimum the dosage added to the beaker
with a clear supernatant
6. In case more than one beaker has clear supernatant, observe the volume of floc at the bottom of
the bikers. Select as optimum the dosage added to the beaker with minimal floc volume.
7. In case there is no visible difference in the floc volumes, filter their supernatants through filter
paper and measure turbidity of the filtrate with the turbidimeter. Select as optimum the dosage
added to the beaker given the minimal turbidity.
8. In case of almost equal turbidities select as optimal the beaker with a smaller amount of
coagulant added
9. Repeat if necessary, with smaller intervals of dosages among the beakers

Observations
As the coagulant substance was added to the water sample beakers in the proportions outlined in the
procedure ( 1ml, 3 ml, 5ml and 7 ml) , the chemical coagulant started to precipitate trapping all the
impurities and forming flocs deposited at the bottom of the beaker.
Discussion and conclusion
Using aluminum sulphate, the mechanism is
Al³+3H2O----Al(OH)3 + 3H

After I analyzed the data, I have decided that the optimum dosage for this experiment is 5ml.

I’ve reached this conclusion based on the fact that the turbidity was lower and also that it’s cost
effective. This suggests that compared to higher dosages i.e. 7ml, 5ml provides satisfactory
results while minimizing the amount of the substance required. By optimizing the dosage, you
can potentially reduce the overall cost of the treatment process.
Limitation
Its use is not recommended for obtaining information on mixing and agitation requirements in the plant.
This is among other factors due to the fact that the hydraulic conditions in the experimental setup in the
coagulation-flocculation units of the water treatment plant are totally different.
Recommendations
Provision of a turbidimeter to obtain accurate measurement and to facilitate the conclusion of the jar
test using graphs. This turbidimeter offers high measurement accuracy and precision. Thus enabling the
plotting of the turbidity against the concentrations of coagulant and thus obtaining the coagulation curve
which is useful in drawing conclusions. The dosage that yields the best results in terms of turbidity,
settling characteristics, and floc formation should be implemented in the full-scale treatment process.
While the jar test provides valuable information on coagulant dosage, it should be used in conjunction
with other factors specific to the treatment plant, such as hydraulic conditions, mixing, and agitation
requirements. Alongside achieving optimal coagulation and flocculation, it is important to consider the
cost-effectiveness of the selected coagulant dosage.