REMOVAL OF FLUORIDE FROM SHATT AL-ARAB DRINKING WATER USING A NOVEL LOW COST MATERIAL

Abstract

Drinking water contamination by fluoride component (F-) is considered as a main public problem in Basra city. The current study highlights on the removal of (F-) from drinking water using effective and low cost materials namely, banana shell and new technical that prepared from orange shell loaded with Zirconyl chloride solutions (Z-r4 (O-H)8 (H2-O)16] Cl8 (H2- O)12) to develop active adsorption sites for fluoride . High removal efficiency of 94.4 was achieved using fixed bed column loaded (Zc-dejr) under optimum operating conditions, 15.1 ppm of feed concentration, 4.5 pH of feed solution and 4 cm of bed depth. Result of breakthrough profile showed that Thomas was coincided well with the experimental data. Two model, Pseude first order and Pseudo second order where used for finding the mechanism of adsorption kinetics for fluoride (F-) removal by two-bio adsorbents. The result showed that the external adsorption besides to the intra-particle diffusion contributes to the rate influential step. Lagmaier model gives the better result model for the two adsorbents then Temkin isotherm model (TIM). The final concentration of fluoride in treated water with the banana shell adsorbent was 1 mg/l, and with the new solution (Z-r4 (O-H)8(H2-O)16] Cl8 (H2-O)12 ) was 0.5 mg /l which is acceptable with the standard World Health Organization (WHO).