Removal of Fluoride from Water Using Bioadsorbents

Current Research in Microbiology and Biotechnology Vol. 2, No. 6 (2014): 509‐512 Research Article Open Access

ISSN: 2320-2246

Removal of Fluoride from Water Using Bioadsorbents

Sharad Sharma1*, Vibhuti2, Vishal2 and Aditya Pundhir1

Department of Biotechnology, Shobhit University, Meerut, India. Department of Biotechnology, Hindustan College of Technology & Management, Mathura, India. * Corresponding author: Sharad Sharma; email: [email protected]

Received: 17 October 2014 Accepted: 31 October 2014 Online: 01 November 2014

ABSTRACT Fluoride is the major inorganic pollutant of natural origin found in groundwater. Fluoride in minute quantity is an essential component for normal mineralization of bones and formation of dental enamel. Since then considerable work has been done in different parts of India to explore the fluoride laden water sources and their impacts on human as well on animals. The safe limit of fluoride in drinking water is 1.0 mg/L. Water with high fluoride content is generally soft has high pH and contains large amount of silica. In groundwater, the natural concentration of fluoride depends on the geological, chemical and physical characteristics of the aquifer, the porosity and acidity of the soil and rocks, temperature, the action of other chemicals and the depth of wells. The solution to the problem is removing the excess of fluoride form water. There are a number of processes that are used for the De‐fluoridation purpose. Some of the methods used are: Synthetic ion exchange, Precipitation processes, and Activated alumina filters, Reverse osmosis, Absorption techniques. Mostly applied technique is absorption either with the chemical, physical or biological adsorbents. These bio‐adsorbents have the property of adsorbing various metal ions. Here various naturally occurring adsorbents are used which have shown a desirable amount of degradation in Fluoride content of water sample. In this report the data obtained reveals that various adsorbents used are highly efficient in fluoride removal.

Keywords: Aquifer, bio‐adsorbents, De‐fluoridation, fluoride. INTRODUCTION

Water is an essential natural resource for sustaining life and environment that we have always thought to be available in abundance and free gift of nature. However, chemical composition of surface or subsurface is one of the prime factors on which the suitability of water for domestic, industrial or agricultural purpose depends. Freshwater occurs as surface water and groundwater. Though groundwater contributes only 0.6% of the total water resources on earth, it is the major and the preferred source of drinking water in rural as well as urban areas, particularly in the developing countries like India because treatment of the same, including disinfection is often not required. It caters to 80% of the total drinking water requirement and 50% of the agricultural requirement in rural India. But in the era of economic growth, groundwater is getting polluted due to urbanization and industrialization [1, 5]. Over the past few decades, the ever‐growing population, urbanization, industrialization and http://crmb.aizeonpublishers.net/content/2014/6/crmb509‐512.pdf

unskilled utilization of water resources have led to degradation of water quality and reduction in per capita availability in various developing countries. Due to various ecological factors either natural or anthropogenic, the groundwater is getting polluted because of deep percolation from intensively cultivated fields, disposal of hazardous wastes, liquid and solid wastes from industries, sewage disposal, surface impoundments etc. During its complex flow history, groundwater passes through various geological formations leading to consequent contamination in shallow aquifers. Presence of various hazardous contaminants like fluoride, arsenic, nitrate, sulfate, pesticides, other heavy metals etc. in underground water has been reported from different parts of India. . In many cases, the water sources have been rendered unsafe not only for human consumption but also for other activities such as irrigation and industrial needs. Therefore, now there is a need to focus greater attention on the future impact of water resources

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planning and development taking into consideration all urinary tract malfunctioning, nausea, abdominal pain, the related issues [2]. tingling sensation in fingers and toes, reduced immunity, repeated abortions or still births, male In India, fluoride is the major inorganic pollutant of sterility, etc. The solution to the problem is removing natural origin found in groundwater. Fluoride in the excess of fluoride form water. There are a number minute quantity is an essential component for normal of processes that are used for the Defluoridation mineralization of bones and formation of dental purpose. Some of the methods used are: Synthetic ion enamel. Considerable work has been done in different exchange, Precipitation processes, activated alumina parts of India to explore the fluoride laden water filters, Reverse osmosis, and Adsorption techniques. sources and their impacts on human as well on animals. Mostly applied technique is adsorption either with the The safe limit of fluoride in drinking water is 1.0 mg/L. chemical, physical or biological adsorbents [6]. Water with high fluoride content is generally soft, has high pH and contains large amount of silica [1]. In Several adsorbent materials have been tried in the past groundwater, the natural concentration of fluoride to find out an efficient and economical defluoridating depends on the geological, chemical and physical agent. Some of those adsorbents are activated coconut characteristics of the aquifer, the porosity and acidity of shell carbon and activated fly ash, groundnut shell, the soil and rocks, temperature, the action of other coffee husk, Phyllanthus emblica, bark of babool, pine chemicals and the depth of wells. Due to large number apple peel powder, orange peel powder, grind neem of variables, the fluoride concentrations in and pipal leaves, groundnut shells, etc. Adsorption groundwater range from well under 1.0 mg/L to more methods are adopted for removal of fluoride and these than 35.0 mg/L. Fluorine is highly reactive and is found methods are suitable when fluoride is present in low naturally as CaF2. It is an essential constituent in concentrations [7]. minerals like topaz, fluorite, fluorapatite, cryolite, phosphorus, theorapatite, etc. Fluorine being a highly MATERIALS AND METHODS electronegative element has extraordinary tendency to In this paper an attempt has made to suggest certain get attracted by positively charged ions like calcium [3]. low cost materials as effective adsorbents of fluoride. The adsorbents primarily were Dry Neem Leaves Hence the effect of fluoride on mineralized tissues like Powder, Dry Peepal Leaves Powder, Neem Bark bone and teeth. a large amount of fluoride gets bound Powder, Rice Husk Wheat Husk Powdered, Neem in the tissues and only a small amount is excreted Peepal Leaves Mixture, Ground‐nut Shells. Initially, all through sweat, urine and stool. Dental fluorosis is the adsorbents are screened by adding 15 gm of each characterized by white, opaque areas on the tooth adsorbent to 150 ml stock solution of fluoride. surface and in severe form; it is manifested as yellowish Adsorption methods are adopted for removal of brown to black stains and severe pitting of the teeth [4, fluoride and these methods are suitable when fluoride 5]. is present in low concentration. For this purpose, an aqueous solution of 150 ml of fluoride (100ppm) of The effect of dental fluorosis may not be apparent if the various concentrations is taken in 500 ml Stoppard teeth are already fully grown prior to the fluoride over bottles and 15 gm of adsorbents is added to the exposure. Skeletal fluorosis affects children as well as solutions. Batch adsorption experiments are carried out adults. The symptoms of skeletal fluorosis are similar to at room temperature, a contact time of 24 hours is spondylitis or arthritis. excessive consumption of maintained. The initial and final concentration of fluoride may lead to muscle fiber degeneration, low aqueous solutions of fluoride was determined by hemoglobin levels, deformities in RBCs, excessive spectrophotometric method by using Spands and thirst, headache, skin rashes, nervousness, neurological percentage removal of fluoride was determined [9]. manifestations , depression, gastrointestinal problems, Flow Chart of Procedure

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Our results predict that the bioadsorbents taken as filter media are highly potential in their work. For RH (rice husk) the degradation percentage is 98.2% which conclude that it is best for the purpose of fluoride removal at low cost and with appropriate availability, while in the research The percent removal efficiency was observed 75% which is for the initial fluoride concentration of 5 mg/L [8]. For other research the

experimental investigations clearly suggest that abundantly available and low‐cost materials like Rice Husk is effective in removing Fluoride from water to acceptable levels. Equilibrium isothermal sorption experiments suggested that sorbent dosages of 6g/l of rice husk accomplished a removal of 83% of Fluoride. The time to reach equilibrium was observed to be 3 hours. pH does not have any significant impact in the range of 3‐10 [6].

PL‐ Peepal Leaves, NL‐ Neem Leaves, NPM‐ Neem Peepal Leaves, NB‐ Neem Bark, RH‐ Rice Husk, WH‐ Wheat Husk, GN‐ Ground‐nut

Figure 1. Degradation (%) of fluoride

Table 1. Degradation percentage of fluoride content by UV Spectrophotometer S.No Std. sol. OD Sample Sample OD Degradation %of fluoride 1 0.119 PL 1.147 90.2 2 0.119 NL 0.347 97.1 3 0.119 NPM 0.637 94.6 4 0.119 NB 0.656 94.5 5 0.119 RH 0.214 98.2 6 0.119 WH 0.552 95.4 7 0.119 GN 0.242 98.0 Next we present the Groundnut Shells, most easily Peepal grind leaves if we use them separately they will available and low cost material for the people even in show much more efficient results. Neem grind leaves village areas. When we use GN as our adsorbents it when solely used as adsorbent shows a degradation of shows degradation of 98% though earlier studies done, 97.1% which is much more than the mixture reveals that the process can remove fluoride up to 90%. degradation i.e. 94.6%. Thus neem leaves are good This result is in the favor of the people who are not adsorbent of fluorine and they are available capable of purchasing high cost membrane filters to everywhere and costless. Thus, it can be used by the remove fluorine from their drinking water. Use of neem people living in those areas, which have high peepal mixture as adsorbent is the concept given by concentration of Fluoride in drinking water. Not only Tomar and Kumar [7], according to them the this, the neem is very effective against several microbes defluoridation capability of grind neem and peepal especially bacteria and kill if present in water. leaves is very high as these bioadsorbents materials reduced the fluoride concentration to 4 mg/L in 90 min On the other hand, the Peepal leaves when taken alone and to 3.22 mg/L after 18 h .The data obtained are less efficient than the mixture as its degradation represent that instead of using mixture of Neem and percentage is 90.2%, which is very much less than the http://crmb.aizeonpublishers.net/content/2014/6/crmb509‐512.pdf

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mixture. Thus, if we have to use these three samples then we should use neem leaves as it has other health benefits too. The neem bark is not used as adsorbent but babool bark is used, just for the analysis we studied neem bark for the adsorption purpose and resulted in efficient degradation of fluoride. In babool bark adsorption removal of fluoride is about 77.04%, while neem bark shows a degradation percentage of 94.5%. This shows that neem bark is more efficient than the babool bark for degradation purpose [7]. The other most easily available raw material wheat husk also showed tremendous decrease in the amount of fluoride when used as adsorbent. Though the use of wheat husk was not reported anywhere and hence we implemented but we have used it in reference with rice husk. Wheat husk showed a degradation of 95.4% still less efficient than rice husk for which the degradation percentage is 98.2%.The efficiency of various raw materials gave us the preference of their use, the sequence of efficiency can be given as RH > GN > NL > WH > NPM > NB > PL.

village people in areas affected with high concentration of fluoride; because of its low cost they are affordable.

REFFERENCES 1. 2.

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CONCLUSION

Our study reveals that removal of fluoride with the help of Bioadsorbent is very efficient process for Defluoridation. Among various types of deflouridation techniques we selected the process of adsorption as it can easily be applicable at small scale even at household level. Various bioadsorbents used by us are mostly the dried leaves and waste of agriculture products. These bioadsorbents showed high amount of adsorption of fluoride. These raw materials are easily available at low cost. Thus these can be used by the

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