Defluoridation of contaminated drinking water using neem charcoal adsorbent: Kinetics and equilibrium studies

Drinking water is often the main source of fluoride intake by humans, especially in areas where their concentrations in groundwater and/or surface water is high. Endemic fluorosis is present in at least 20 states of India, affecting more than 65 million people including 6 million children. Fluoride ion (F) concentrations in India’s groundwater vary widely, ranging from 0.01 mg/L to 48 mg/L. Defluoridation of ground water and supply of safe drinking water is the only immediate solution to this problem. The present investigation is an attempt towards a feasible solution. Batch experimental runs at room temperature were performed to evaluate the adsorption capacity of neem charcoal from aqueous solutions. Adsorption studies for defluoridation on neem charcoal powder showed that the adsorbent were highly influenced by temperature, p of the solution, and initial fluoride concentration.