What process is used to remove suspended particles from water using coagulants?

The process of coagulation is specifically designed to remove suspended particles from water. During coagulation, coagulants—such as aluminum sulfate or ferric chloride—are added to the water. These chemical agents neutralize the charges on suspended particles, allowing them to clump together into larger aggregates or flocs. Once these flocs form, they can be easily removed from the water during subsequent treatment phases, such as sedimentation and filtration. Coagulation plays a crucial role in improving water clarity and quality, as it helps to reduce turbidity and facilitate the removal of contaminants.

In contrast, filtration is a method that physically removes particles from water using a filter medium but does not involve the chemical processes that coagulation does. Reverse osmosis is a separation process that removes contaminants by pushing water through a semipermeable membrane, which is different in both mechanism and application than coagulation. Chlorination is a disinfection process that involves adding chlorine to kill microorganisms, rather than specifically addressing the removal of suspended solids. Thus, coagulation is the correct term associated with the process of using coagulants to remove suspended particles from water.