Small-scale protocol for magnetic coagulation testing

Coagulation is a key process in water and wastewater treatment, typically evaluated using a standard jar test. However, this method requires large volumes of reagents and extended testing time, making it impractical in certain conditions. This study presents a novel miniaturized coagulation method using only 5 mL of wastewater to assess the performance of a magnetic coagulant synthesized from Moringa oleifera seed extract and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. Congo red dye served as the model pollutant, and the removal efficiency of the mini test was compared with the conventional jar test under identical conditions. The miniaturized method achieved a removal efficiency of 94.23 ± 0.611 %, which is slightly lower than the 97.06 ± 0.746 %, achieved by the conventional method. While statistical analysis indicated a significant difference (p < 0.05), the absolute difference (∼2.83 %) was minor and did not affect practical performance. • The proposed method offers significant advantages, including reduced reagent consumption, a lower sample volume, minimized waste generation, and enabled rapid screening of coagulant performance. • This approach aligns with green chemistry and engineering principles and serves as an efficient tool for early-stage coagulant screening, particularly in low-resource settings as well as high-throughput testing environments.