Efektivitas Biji Kelor (Moringa Oleifera) dalam Menurunkan Kadar Fosfat dan Tss Limbah Cair Laundry di Kelurahan Kenangan Baru Tahun 2025

Abstract

Laundry businesses are service-based operations that offer washing, drying, and ironing of clothes and other textile materials. These services have grown rapidly in response to increasing urban lifestyle demands. However, the wastewater generated from laundry activities contains harmful substances such as detergents, phosphates, and Total Suspended Solids (TSS), which can cause environmental pollution if not properly treated. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Moringa oleifera seeds as a natural coagulant in reducing phosphate and TSS levels in laundry wastewater in Kenangan Baru Subdistrict, Percut Sei Tuan District. A quasi-experimental design was applied using three different doses of moringa seed powder (0.3 g/100 ml, 0.4 g/100 ml, and 0.5 g/100 ml), with each treatment replicated twice. Wastewater samples were collected from a laundry unit with the highest initial phosphate and TSS concentrations. TSS was measured using the gravimetric method, while phosphate levels were analyzed through spectrophotometry. The results showed that the highest dose (5 g/L) was the most effective, reducing phosphate by 81.82% (from 14.67 mg/L to 1.20 mg/L) and TSS by 67.34% (from 344 mg/L to 113 mg/L). While the phosphate level successfully met the domestic wastewater quality standard set by Indonesian Regulation No. 5 of 2014 (<2 mg/L), the TSS concentration still exceeded the permissible limit of 60 mg/L. A survey of four laundry businesses revealed that 75% operated from 08:00 to 20:00, 75% used powdered detergent, 50% handled daily laundry loads between 70–105 kg, 50% served 10–15 customers per day, and 100% discharged wastewater directly into drainage systems without prior treatment. In conclusion, moringa seeds are effective as natural coagulants in reducing phosphate and TSS levels in laundry wastewater, with 5 g/L as the optimal dose. However, additional treatment steps are necessary to ensure compliance with environmental standards, especially for TSS.