Defluoridation through the utilization of unmodified precipitate derived from a mucilaginous agricultural plant material

Abstract

Fluoride is naturally abundant at varying levels globally, although its present in trace levels (<1.5 mg/L) is often associated with health benefits but elevated levels is known to cause dental and skeletal fluorosis. In this study, precipitate derived from the mucilaginous plant materials were characterised and tested for its potential to reduce excess fluoride from both aqueous solution and real groundwater samples. The precipitate was characterised using standard protocols. The effects of several operating parameters on the sequestration of fluoride from aqueous solution was reported. The precipitate was found to have N-H and O-H (Functional groups), porous and flaky (morphology), macroporous (surface area) and calcium oxide as the highest chemical composition which could be responsible for deflouridation. From the sorption batch experiment a maximum fluoride sorption capacity of 84.07 % from 10 mg/L concentration solution at 303.15 K was recorded. The maximum adsorption capacity recorded was 24.15 mg/g. The Langmuir equilibrium model best described the sorption reaction while the pseudo-second-order kinetic model best described the kinetics of the sorption process. The process was spontaneous, feasible and exothermic in nature.