Activated KAZA's Carbons - Defluoridation of Potable Water

Though the serious health problems to human beings due to excessive intake of fluoride mainly through Potable water is a well known fact, suitable and cost effective solution is needed. Activated carbon proved to be the most effective adsorbent for various pollutants in water including fluoride. But Commercial activated carbon is an expensive one. So activated carbons prepared from bio-waste materials, viz., Phaseolus trilobus, Leucena leucocephala and Casuarina and were collectively named as Kaza’s carbons. The suface analysis of these carbons is carried out by FT-IR, XRD, SEM and EDAX along with physico-chemical analysis. These carbons are having good surface characteristics and are applied in defluridation of synthetic fluoride solution as well as for real water samples. The adsorption data is modeled with Freundilich, Langmuir, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms. Five kinetic models, viz., pseudo first-order, pseudo second-order, Weber and Morris intraparticle diffusion model, Bangham’s pore diffusion model and Elovich equations are used to study the Adsorption process. Defluoridation is successful in water to bring the normal level of fluoride content.