Effect of pH, Dosage, and Contact Time on the Removal of Petroleum Hydrocarbons from Industrial Wastewater Using Aloe Vera Gel

This paper aimed to evaluate the efficiency of aloe vera natural gel as a coagulant in removing petroleum hydrocarbons from industrial wastewater released by South Refinery Company in Basrah, Iraq. Employing a design of experiments (DOE) approach, this study investigates the roles played by key independent variables: pH, coagulant dosage and treatment time on total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) removal efficiency. The results show that the optimum conditions for achieving full (100%) removal are at with a volume of 1 ml and contact time of 60 min. When compared with multiple linear regression (MLR), the removal process is represented more accurately with the DOE. The use of aloe vera gel means that we can develop a greener and natural technique for the treatment of petroleum contaminated effluents, which is in line with sustainable approaches to industrial wastewater treatment.