Effect of water coagulation by seeds of Moringa oleifera on bacterial concentrations

The effects of a Sudanese water purification method traditionally used in Sudan to treat turbid waters were studied with respect to turbidity reduction and removal of faecal indicator bacteria as well as selected enteric bacterial pathogens. Water treatment was performed at 30 degrees C with Moringa oleifera seed material as a coagulant, and the technique employed corresponded closely to that used to clarify turbid water in Sudanese villages. A turbidity reduction of 80.0-99.5% paralleled by a primary bacterial reduction of 1-4 log units (90.00-99.99%) was obtained within the first 1 to 2 h of treatment, the bacteria being concentrated in the coagulated sediment. During the 24 h observation period a secondary bacterial increase due to regrowth in the supernatant water was consistently observed for Salmonella typhimurium and Shigella sonnei, in some cases for Escherichia coli, but not for Vibrio cholerae, Streptococcus faecalis and Clostridium perfringens. The potential of the method when compared with some alternative for the improvement of rural drinking water supplies is discussed.