Efficiency of various sodium solutions in regeneration of fluoride saturated bone char for de-fluoridation

Abstract

High levels of fluoride in drinking water have adverse health effects, that include dental, skeletal and crippling fluorosis, bone cancer, reduced IQ and increased bone fractures. Reuse of fluoride exhausted bone char as a way of reducing fluoride was investigated to make full utilization of the bone char before its disposal. This study aimed at determining the effectiveness of sodium solutions (NaOH, Na 2 CO 3 , NaHCO 3 and Na 3 PO 4) in reactivating fluoride-saturated bone char to be reused in the removal of fluoride from water with a view to finding a solution to the problem of excessive fluoride in drinking water. Determine the effect of temperature on regeneration process.Samples of 40 g each were packed in different columns, to it, 50 ml of Na solutions of different concentrations of 1, 2 and 4 % was added and samples taken at different duration of 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 24 hours and fluoride analysed using fluoride meter. Data wasanalysed using M-Stat software.NaOH solution had the highest fluoridereleased of 130.55-186.14 ppm while the lowest was NaHCO 3 with 4.35-6.03 ppm of fluoride removed from fluoride saturated. Increase in temperature during regeneration increased the amount of fluoride released from bone char. The study confirmed that NaOH is the most effective for regenerating fluoride saturated bone char.