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The erratic supply of electricity in Nigeria has renewed interest in the utilisation of coal for energy self-sufficiency and diversification of the national energy mix. In this study, selected coal samples from three regions of the Benue Trough Basin were examined through pore water chemistry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermosgravimetric analysis (TGA). The low pH observed for the Lower Benue Trough (LBT) coals indicates the release of sulphur and acids during oxidation. Mineralogical analyses reveal quartz, kaolinite, montmorillonite, albite, pyrite, gypsum and sodium chlorate in the coal samples. The genetic kaolinite species identified in Imeagha (IMG) coal are detrital kaolinite and the highly crystalline neomorphic kaolinite. Gypsum and jarosite minerals occurred in minor quantities in Garin Maiganga (GMG), whereas significant amount of pyrite was detected in Enugu (ENG) coal. Oxidative thermal degradation resulted in the residual mass (RM) ranging between 4.35% and 56.96% and mass losses (ML) between 43.04% and 95.65% due to the drying, devolatilization, and coke formation in the samples. The most reactive coal examined was GMG coal, whereas the least reactive was IMG coal. Lamja (LMZ), GMG, and OKB coals are suited for electricity generation, whereas ENG and IMG coals can be utilised for cement production.

This work reports the synthesis of 3-bromo-benzimidazolone using melt condensation, its polymerization and functionalization on silica which was extracted from diatomaceous earth in our previous work. The synthesized compounds were characterized using FTIR, NMR, SEM-EDS and TEM. The FTIR and NMR spectra of the synthesized benzimidazolones showed the compounds to have several functional groups: A band due to Si–O–C at 1085.41 cm−1, a broad band at 3380 cm−1 and chemical shifts: positive distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer (DEPT) 13C peaks (indicating lack of CH2 and CH3 groups), 1H NMR – 11.053 ppm (N–H), 7.086 ppm (Ar-H); 13C NMR – 155.34 ppm (CO), 101.04 ppm (C–Br) characteristic of benzimidazolones. SEM-EDS of the functionalized silica showed a rough irregular morphology with Si and O as the major elements. Carbon was also present indicating that silica was successfully functionalized with 3-bromo-benzimidazolone and TEM showed interconnected smear-like particles arranged irregularly. The functionalized silica was then applied in the treatment of oily wastewater and factors like initial oil concentration, adsorption dosage and time were optimized using the central composite design of response surface methodology in the design expert software. The amount of oil adsorbed was obtained by quantifying the total organic carbon using TOC test kits. Results showed that the optimum conditions for oil removal were 6650 mg L−1 oil concentration, with adsorbent dosage of 0.004 g and a contact time of 16 h. Under these conditions, the percentage adsorption was 97.9% with a desirability of 0.99. The materials were therefore seen to be applicable to field wastewaters.

This article discussed the potential application of hydrothermally synthesized porous hydroxysodalite material synthesized from aluminosilicate clay material as a multifunctional adsorbent for fluoride and pathogen removal from groundwater. The efficiency of the material towards fluoride removal was evaluated using batch experiments while the efficacy against the E. coli strain was evaluated using well-assay diffusion method. The material showed a maximum fluoride adsorption capacity of 6.01 mg/g at initial concentration range of 5 to 100 mg/L when 1 g/100 mL adsorbent dosage was used at initial pH of 6 ± 0.5 after agitation time of 10 min. The adsorption kinetics data fitted better to pseudo first order of reaction kinetics indicating the dominance of physiosorption adsorption mechanism while the adsorption isotherm data showed better fit to both Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm model confirming monolayer and multilayer adsorption. The material was successfully regenerated and reused for up to eight successive regeneration-reuse cycles. However, its efficiency was inhibited by the presence of Cl

Acetylated materials have been applied successfully in oily water remediation with some degree of success. Many of these materials which have been acetylated are, however, from seasonal fruits and other plant parts. This work reports the successful acetylation of silica extracted from diatomaceous earth by refluxing silica and acetic anhydride using 1% N-bromosuccinimide as a catalyst. The functionalization was confirmed by the presence of absorption bands at 1406 cm−1 (C–O) and 1568 cm−1 (C=O) on an IR spectrum and the presence of C, Si, and increased amount of O on the EDX spectrum. The synthesized materials were applied in the optimization of the removal of oil from synthetic oily wastewater using response surface methodology giving a percentage oil removal of 99.7%. The optimum conditions for oil removal were as follows; 7867 mg/L oil concentration, with adsorbent dosage of 0.001 g and a duration of 21.6 h, and the adsorption capacity under these conditions was found to be 1039 mg/g. The outcomes proved that acetylated silica is an excellent material for oil adsorption and can therefore be used in oil spill clean-ups.

This paper presents the potential application of macadamia nut shells (MNS) in the bio-sorption of fluoride and its antimicrobial potency against common pathogens encountered in surface water resources. The efficiency of MNS in the sorption of fluoride was determined using batch mode experiments, while the antimicrobial potency was investigated using the well disc diffusion assay method. The maximum fluoride sorption capacity of 1.26 mg/g was recorded at an initial fluoride concentration of 5 mg/L, adsorbent dosage of 0.5 g/100 mL, contact time of 120 min and initial pH of 6. The adsorption kinetics data were better described with a pseudo second order model, indicating the dominance of the chemisorption mechanisms. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm model described the isotherm data suggesting a monolayered adsorption. The thermodynamic parameters, ∆Gº and ∆Hº, confirmed that F− sorption by MNS is a spontaneous and endothermic process. The bio-sorbent was regenerated for seven continuous cycles when HCl was used as regenerating solution. The antimicrobial studies revealed that MNS has minimal activity towards Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The MNS showed potentials for application in bio-sorption of fluoride. However, the doping of MNS with metal ions is recommended to enhance its anti-microbial potency.

The rare earth elements (REE) possess a beneficial combination of chemical and physical properties, making them valuable for most advanced branches of engineering and technology. Alternative sources of REE are desirable due to limited reserves of conventional REE containing minerals over the world combined with disproportionate supply over demand in the commodity markets. This study investigated the occurrence of REE and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in Cretaceous Nigerian coals for prospective industrial applications. Results show that the coals’ crystalline mineral matter comprises quartz, kaolinite, and illite with minor quantities of feldspar, hematite, magnetite, calcite, dolomite, which indicate detrital mineral origins. Elemental relationships (such as Al2O3/TiO2, Cr/Th vs. Sc/Th, and Co/Th vs. La/Sc) suggest sediment-source regions with mafic, intermediate or felsic compositions. REE are either strongly fractionated or characterized by light-enrichment along with outlook coefficient (Coutl) values that suggest the coals are prospective substitute sources for REE and yttrium (REY) recovery. Several minerals including jarosite, goethite, epsomite, ferrohexahydrite, natrojarosite, rozenite, and gypsum were detected in trace amounts. REE mineral phases were not identified but only amorphous phases containing Ce, La, Nd, Th, Pr, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, and Hf. Maceral composition (high vitrinite), presence of iron-containing minerals (hematite and magnetite), high carbon contents, reduced volatile matter and low ash content favoured the formation of naturally occurring multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNTs) structures in Maiganga (MGA) coal. Hence, the present study is the first scientific report on the naturally occurring REEs and MWC nanophases in Cretaceous coals from the Benue Trough.

The removal efficiency of As(III) by kaolin clay modified by Fe-Mn bimetal oxides was successfully evaluated. Modification of kaolin clay by Fe-Mn oxides increased the surface area of the kaolin clay from 19.2 to 29.8 m2/g and further decreased the pore diameter from 9.54 to 8.5 nm. As(III) removal efficiency was optimum at pH 8. The adsorption isotherm data fitted well to Langmuir adsorption isotherm model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 2.93 mg/g at initial As(III) concentration range of 1 to 30 mg/L. The adsorption kinetics data was described better by pseudo-second order of reaction kinetics indicating that As(III) sorption occurred via chemisorption. Thermodynamics studies revealed that As(III) adsorption occurs spontaneously and the reaction is exothermic in nature. Compared to other reported adsorbents, Fe-Mn bimetal kaolin showed higher adsorption capacity making it a suitable candidate for As(III) removal from groundwater.

This study evaluates the adsorptive properties of locally available alumino-silicate clay in removal of As(III) and As(V) from groundwater. Physicochemical properties of the clay were characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the alumino-silicate clay in the removal of As(III) and As(V) under various conditions of contact time, adsorbent dosage, initial adsorbate concentration and initial pH. The results showed that adsorption of As(III) by alumino-silicate clay is not affected by the change in pH while adsorption of As(V) was optimum at acidic pH and remained almost constant as pH increases to 12. Maximum As(III) and As(V) adsorption capacities were 2.65 and 2.9 mg/g, respectively at 0.7 g/100 mL adsorbent dosage, initial adsorbate concentration of 5 mg/L and contact time of 60 min. The kinetics study showed that the data for As(III) fitted better to pseudo second-order while the adsorption data for As(V) fitted better to pseudo first-order suggesting that As(III) was through chemisorption while adsorption of As(V) was physiosoption. The adsorption isotherm data showed a better fit to Freundlich adsorption isotherm indicating that the surface of the clay is heterogeneous in nature. The presence of co-existing anions inhibits the adsorption of As(III) and As(V) by the clay. The repetitive use and regeneration experiment showed that the material can be used twice prior to regeneration. Furthermore, the adsorbent was found to be chemically stable at wide range of pH. The results showed that locally available alumino-silicate clay is a promising adsorbent for arsenic remediation from groundwater.

Presence of fluoride and pathogen in drinking water is an issue of concern due to their health effects and as such much effort is being directed towards finding sustainable material for use in water treatment. Adsorption based water treatment techniques are often considered as the most effective and easy to use in rural set up. However, most of the adsorbents are not multifunction and are only effective towards fluoride. In this study aluminosilicate activated clay was hydrothermally treated and applied for fluoride and pathogen removal from water. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method (BET), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) and Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersion spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) techniques were employed to characterize hydrothermally treated aluminosilicate clay (HTAC). Batch defluoridation experiments were used to evaluate the fluoride removal efficiency while well diffusion assay method was used to evaluate the antimicrobial efficiency. The BET results showed increase in surface area from 17.19 m2/g to 33.56 m2/g after treatment. Batch defluoridation showed maximum adsorption capacity of 1.75 mg/g with 53% fluoride removal from initial fluoride concentration of 6 mg/L using 0.8 g/40 mL dosage at initial pH 5.8 and contact time of 5 min at room temperature. The adsorption kinetics data showed a better fit to pseudo-second order model while the adsorption isotherm data showed correlation coefficient and chi-square values of 0.98 and 0.01, respectively indicating a better fit to both Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms. The regeneration studies showed that the material can be reused for up to six times using 0.1 M KCl as regenerant. Antimicrobial studies showed that HTAC has potency against Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains. The study showed that synthesized HTAC has strong potential for application in fluoride and pathogen removal.

The severity of oil pollution, brought about by improper management, increases daily with an increase in the exploration and usage of oil, especially with an increase in industrialization. Conventional oil treatment methods are either expensive or time consuming, hence the need for new technologies. The aim of this research is to synthesize polypyrrole-modified silica for the treatment of oily wastewater. Pyrrole was copolymerized with silica in the presence of ferric chloride hexahydrate by adding 23 mL of 117.4 g/dm3 ferric chloride hexahydrate drop wise to a silica-pyrrole mixture (1:2.3). The mixture was stirred for 24 h, filtered and dried at 60 &deg, C for 24 h. The composite was then characterized using FTIR and SEM/EDX. A central composite model was developed in design expert software to describe the efficiency of oil removal using the polypyrrole-modified silica under the influence of initial oil concentration, adsorbent dosage and contact time. The synthesized adsorbent had FTIR bands at 3000&ndash, 3500 cm&minus, 1 (due to the N-H), 1034 cm&minus, 1 (attributed to the Si-O of silica), 1607 cm&minus, 1 and 1615 cm&minus, 1 (due to the stretching vibration of C=C of pyrrole ring). The adsorption capacity values predicted by the central composite model were in good agreement with the actual experimental values, indicating that the model can be used to optimize the removal of oil from oily wastewater in the presence of polypyrrole-modified silica. The adsorbent showed excellent oil uptake when compared with similar materials. The optimum conditions for oil removal were 7091 mg/L oil concentration, 0.004 g adsorbent dosage and contact time of 16 h. Under these conditions, the percentage of oil adsorption was 99.3% and adsorption capacity was 8451 mg/g. As a result of the low optimum dosage and the lack of agitation, the material was found to be applicable in the remediation of field wastewater.

In this study, a hybrid arsenic adsorbent was synthesized through intercalation inorganic and organic surfactant cations onto kaolin clay interlayers. The synthesized adsorbent was characterized X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). Batch studies were conducted to determine As(III) and As(V) removal capacity of hybrid sorbent synthesized. It is found that As(III) removal is optimum at pH range of 4-6 while As(V) removal is optimum at pH range 4-8. The data for adsorption kinetics fitted to pseudo second order model implying that adsorption of As(III) and As(V) is chemisorption. The isotherm studies showed a better fit to Langmuir isotherm model indicating that adsorption of both As(III) and As(V) occurred on a mono-layered surface. The maximum adsorption As(III) and As(V) capacity at room temperature as determined by Langmuir model were found to be 7.99 and 7.32 mg/g, respectively. Thermodynamic parameters, ΔG° and ΔH° were found to be negative indicating that adsorption process occurred spontaneously and exothermic. Inorgano-organo modified kaolin clay was successfully regenerated for up 7 adsorption-regeneration cycles using 0.01 M HCl as regenerant. This study concluded that hybrid sorbent synthesized in this study is suitable for arsenic removal from groundwater.

This paper presents a chemical characterization of fine particulate matter (PM25) in air masses passing through Thohoyandou and further determines their sources. PM25 samples were collected and quantified using the gravimetric method. X-ray fluorescence, smoke stain reflectometer, optical transmissometer and scanning electron microscopy - energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy were used to determine the chemical and morphological composition of the particulate matter. The source apportionment was done using principal component analysis while the HYSPLIT model was used to depict the long-range transport clusters. The mean of concentrations of PM25, soot, black carbon and UVPM were 10.9 ug/m³, 0.69x10-5 m-1, 1.22 μg/m³ and 1.40 μg/m³, respectively. A total of 24 elements were detected in the PM25 with Pd, Sn, Sb, Mg, Al, and Si being the dominant elements. SEM-EDS have shown the presence of irregular, flat and spherical particles which is associated with crustal material and industrial emissions. Source apportionment analysis revealed six major sources of PM25 in Thohoyandou namely, crustal materials, industrial emissions, vehicular emissions, urban emissions, fossil fuel combustion and fugitive-Pd. Air parcels that pass through Thohoyandou were clustered into four groupings. The major pathways were from the SW Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and inland trajectories. Clusters from the ocean are associated with low concentration, while inland clusters are associated with high concentration of PM25. The PM25 levels occasionally exceeded the daily WHO guideline (25 μg/m³) in Thohoyandou and the sources of PM25 extend beyond the borders. This study recommends that further studies need to be carried out to assess the health impacts of PM25 in Thohoyandou.

Alow-cost adsorbent produced from Mn 2+ -modified bentonite clay was evaluated for groundwater defluoridation. Batch experiments were used to evaluate the effect of contact time at various adsorbent dosages, adsorption isotherms and the effect of pH on fluoride removal. The results showed that the optimum F – uptake occurred within the first 30 min contact time and the percentage removal increased with increasing adsorbent dosage. The data fitted better to pseudo-second-order reaction indicating that F – adsorption occurred via chemisorption. The Weber-Morris model of intra-particle diffusion revealed that both surface and intra-particle diffusion processes were involved during the F – adsorption process. Furthermore, the batch results showed that pH of the solution governed the percentage of fluoride removal with the optimum of 75.2 % fluoride removal achieved at pH 4. The adsorbent chemical stability assessment showed that chemical species were leached at trace concentrations which are within the South African National Standards (SANS) limits. Electrostatic attraction and ion-exchange were established as the major mechanisms responsible for fluoride adsorption at acidic pH and at moderate to alkaline pH levels, respectively. The study demonstrated that Mn 2+ intercalated bentonite clay has potential for application in defluoridation of groundwater. Keywords: Adsorption, defluoridation, ion exchange, ligand exchange, intra-particle diffusion

A clay based composite adsorbent for fluoride was fabricated by blending the locally available smectite rich clay and MnO2 coated bentonite clay. The efficiency of the material towards fluoride adsorption was evaluated using fixed-bed column experiments. The results from column experiments showed that increasing parameters such as bed height and initial fluoride concentration increases the adsorption capacity whereas increasing flow rate decreases the column adsorption capacity. The paramount adsorption capacity of obtained at breakthrough point 0.6 mg/g when flow rate of 0.65 mL/min, bed height 2.5 cm and adsorbate concentration of 3.75 mg/L were used. The prepared composite was successfully regenerated using 0.01 M Na2CO3 and reused for up to 2 cycles. Thomas breakthrough model confirmed that fluoride adsorption by the prepared composite involves chemical interaction and transfer of ions into the internal layers of the adsorbent particles. The obtained results showed that MnO2 bentonite-smectite rich clay composite has potential for use in groundwater defluoridation.

The DST/Mintek National Innovation Center, the Institute of Nanotechnology and Water – Water Node at the University of Johannesburg and the UNESCO SIMEV Chair, hosted by the European Institute of Membranes, joined hands to organize from 17 to 19 July 2019 the first workshop on membrane development and separation processes for water and air purification in South Africa. This booklet of abstracts gathers the detailed program with the contacts of all the speakers, with their short biography and abstracts.

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of Fe-Mn modified kaolin clay in the uptake of As(V) from the solution. The elemental composition was characterized using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), while the surface morphology was characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The surface area, pore diameter, and pore volume were determined using Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) techniques. The efficiency of the Arsenic removal of the adsorbent was evaluated using batch experiments. The results showed that the percentage of As(V) removal is optimum at acidic pH and decreased as the solution pH becomes more alkaline. The adsorption kinetics data fitted better to pseudo-second-order compared to the pseudo-first-order of reaction kinetics. The adsorption isotherm data fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model showing a maximum adsorption capacity of 2.44 mg/g, adsorbate concentration range of 1&ndash, 30 mg/L, and adsorbent dosage of 0.4 g/100 mL. The value of ∆G&deg, of the thermodynamic parameter was found to be negative, while ∆H&deg, and ∆S&deg, were found to be positive. For the regeneration-reuse study, the percentage of removal was found to be &gt, 85% after the sixth cycle of reuse. The results obtained from this study showed that Fe-Mn modified kaolin (FMK) is suitable for use in the uptake of As(V) from groundwater.

Selected coal samples from the Benue Trough Basin (Nigeria) were analysed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and all the techniques used. The main minerals detected are clays (e.g., kaolinite and illite), quartz, feldspar , hematite and magnetite with traces of calcite, siderite , dolomite, orthoclase and graphite. The authigenic and detrital origins of the clay minerals detected were confirmed by FT-IR analysis. The XPS spectra identified elements similar to the mineral phases observed in the XRD spectra. The contents of Al 2O3, CaO, Fe2O3, K2O, Na2O and P2O5 were below the values reported for US and Chinese coals. The elemental indexes (e.g. Al2O3/TiO2 , Co/Th vs. La/Sc, Cr/Th vs. Sc/Th) showed that the influence of intermediate-mafic materials derived from source-region sediments is negligible. The Ni/Co ratio showed that the coal forming marsh experienced comparatively mild redox conditions . The ratios of V/(V + Ni), Co/Ni, and Mo/Ni revealed marginal or non-existent marine effects. Trace metals ratios such as V/Ni, Sr/Ba, Rb/Sr, Sr/Cu and V/Zn showed evidence of a large degree of freshwater environment mainly in a humid climate. Maceral composition reflects fluctuations of dry and wet conditions in the forest swamp in a humid environment with an entry of marginal marine system and good plant tissue preservation. The rare earth elements (REE) in the coal samples studied are characterized by light-REE enrichment. Thermal decomposition resulted in the range of residual mass ( RM = 33.67%–61.28%) and mass losses (ML = 38.72% - 66.33%), which attributed to the drying, devolatilization, and coke formation. Thermal reactivity followed the sample order A-5 > A-1 > A-6, which indicates A-5 is more thermally reactive. The results indicate that the coal samples could be exploited for electric power generation.

This study evaluated the hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater in the Greater Giyani Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa. A total of ten (10) groundwater samples were collected from the existing boreholes and analysed for their hydrogeochemical properties using standard laboratory techniques. The data were interpreted using Piper diagram, Gibbs diagram and the scatter plots. The results showed that pH of the samples ranges from neutral to weakly alkaline. The abundance of major anions and cations are in the following order: HCO3− > Cl− > SO42− > NO3− and Na+>Mg2+>Ca2+>K+, respectively. The Piper diagram revealed that the hydrogeochemical facies identified in the study area are Ca–HCO3 and mixed Ca–Na–HCO3 type indicating the predominance of water-rock interaction. The water-rock interaction was further confirmed by the Gibbs diagram. The ionic ratio showed that the major ions originate from weathering of carbonate and silicate minerals. The concentration of arsenic was found to be ranging between 0.1 and 172.53 μg/L with the average of 32.21 μg/L. A total 6 out of 10 samples had arsenic concentration above the WHO recommended limit of 10 μg/L. The study calls for action from public health officials towards evaluating the correlation between arsenic concentration and arsenic related diseases and further development of arsenic remediation techniques.

In this paper surfactant modified kaolin clay for As(III) and As(V) was prepared by intercalating hexadecyltrimethylamonium bromide (HDTMA-Br) cationic surfactant onto the clay interlayers. Batch experiments were used to evaluate the effectiveness of surfactant modified kaolin clay towards As(III) and As(V) removal. The results revealed that adsorption of As(III) and As(V) is optimum at pH range 4–8. The maximum As(III) and As(V) adsorption capacities were found 2.33 and 2.88 mg/g, respectively after 60 min contact time. The data for adsorption of As(III) showed a better fit too pseudo first order model of reaction kinetics while the data for As(V) fitted better to pseudo second order model. The adsorption isotherm data for As(III) and As(V) fitted well to Langmuir model indicating that adsorption of both species occurred on a mono-layered surface. Adsorption thermodynamics model revealed that adsorption of As(III) and As(V) was spontaneous and exothermic. The presence of Mg2+ and Ca2+ increased As(III) and As(V) adsorption efficiency. The regeneration study showed that synthesized adsorbent can be used for up to 5 times with maximum As(III) and As(V) percentage removal of 54.2% and 62.33%, respectively achieved after 5th cycle. Surfactant modified kaolin clay mineral showed higher adsorption capacity towards As(III) and As(V) as compared to unmodified kaolin clay mineral and competitive with other adsorbent in the literature. The results obtained from this study revealed that surfactant modified kaolin mineral is a candidate material for arsenic remediation from groundwater., Physical Chemistry, Thermodynamics; Surfactant.; Isotherms; Adsorption; Kinetics; Kaolin clay mineral

Fluorosis is a chronic disease caused by drinking water with a fluoride concentration greater than 1.5 mg/L for extended periods of time. The disease is manifested by tooth decay in dental fluorosis and deformation of bones in skeletal fluorosis. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set fluoride limits in drinking water at 1.5 mg/L. Most rural areas of South Africa depend on groundwater as a source of drinking water. However, groundwater in some of the boreholes has a concentration of fluoride above the permissible limit and will require defluoridation. The present work aims at evaluating the use of Mn 2+ intercalated bentonite clay for defluoridation of groundwater. Clay was characterized for mineralogy using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and elemental composition using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and morphology using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate and optimize various operational parameters such as contact time, adsorbent dose, pH and initial adsorbate concentration. Optimum operation conditions for adsorption of fluoride were established to be 30 min contact time 1.0 g/100 mL adsorbent dosage, 3 mg/L adsorbate concentration and pH of 2. Maximum percentage F removal of 84.0% was achieved at optimized conditions. Mn 2+ intercalated bentonite clay removed  55.89% of fluoride from field water. The study shows that Mn 2+ intercalated bentonite clay has potential for application in defluoridation