FLUORIDE REMOVAL FROM WATER BY A NOVEL DODONAEA VISCOSA BARK BIOCHAR ADSORBENT.

An excess of the fluoride ion (F-) above the recommended upper limit, such as the WHO recommended upper limit of 1.5 mgL-1, may cause fluorosis in humans, as reported in several countries, e.g. Pakistan, China, and India. Various commercial adsorbents has been used for F-removal from water but there is still a desire for an environmentally friendly and economic adsorbent. Therefore, a novel adsorbent, i.e. Dodonaea bark biochar (DBBC) was prepared, from Dodonaea viscosa under pyrolysis at 750 °C in an inert atmosphere, to remove excessive F-from water and studied with batch experiments involving a number of parameters: pH (2-10), contact-time (5-145 minutes), dosage of adsorbent (1-7 g/50 mL), and initial F-concentration (2-10 mgL-1). The biochar showed 90% F-removal in the acidic range and 60% removal at neutral pH under optimized conditions. In conclusion, the adsorbent DBBC is recommended as an inexpensive sorbent material for F-contaminated water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]