Synthesis of adsorbent material for the removal of fluoride from drinking water using aluminium-loaded orange peelings carbon

Abstract

Fluorine is considered essential for the maintenance of human health if the concentration is between 0.5 to 1.0 mg/L. Concentrations higher than this lead to a disorder known as fluorosis (dental and skeletal). According to World Health Organization, the permissible limit of fluoride is 1.5 mg/L in drinking water. Many methods which are generally expensive have been applied to remove fluoride ions from drinking water. However, this has not been effective as the population is still faced with high fluoride content in water and its related effects. In this study, an effective and less costly method was developed by use of orange peelings charcoal impregnated with aluminium. A number of parameters which include adsorbent dose, contact time, initial fluoride concentration, particle size and pH were used to investigate the adsorption capacity and efficiency of aluminium loaded orange peelings charcoal (ALOPC). It was observed that the percentage removal of fluoride increased with increase in adsorbent dose and contact time and decreased with increase in particle size, initial fluoride concentration and pH. This study is useful in designing a local defluoridation unit so as to bring the fluoride level in drinking water to permissible limit.