Removal of fluoride from groundwater by chemically functionalized sugarcane bagasse biochar and bagasse pellets in a fixed-bed sorption system

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the design parameters for a filter intended to remove fluoride from groundwater. Water fluoridation notably influences groundwater, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas that exacerbate the challenge of availability of safe drinking water from Groundwater resources in numerous developing nations. Experiments were conducted to determine the fluoride concentrations in groundwater sources in the arid region of Maharashtra, India. Samples were collected from seven villages in three districts of Maharashtra. This study utilized chemically functionalized sugarcane bagasse biochar adsorbent (SCBB), which is low-cost and easily accessible, to remove fluoride from groundwater in a column setup. The recommended design parameters for the packed-bed column flow rate (Q) are 100 ml min−1 and bed height (d) is 30 cm.