Synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of fluoride removal capacity of calcium-impregnated Euphorbia neriifolia carbon (Ca-Enc).

Abstract

Fluoride ions must be removed from drinking water in order to prevent fluorosis. Many conventional techniques have been examined for the defluoridation of water all over the world. As far as fluoride ions are concerned, adsorption is the most promising method for the removal of them from aqueous environments. In the present study, we aim to find out how well Euphorbia neriifolia plants can remove fluoride from water using activated and carbonized adsorbents. The Euphorbia neriifolia plant stem was pulverized, dried, and activated using calcium ions extracted from used eggshells collected nearby. The synthesized adsorbent material before and after adsorption of fluoride ions was systematically characterized using FTIR, XRD, SEM with EDAX, TGA, and zero-point charge. The defluoridation capacity of the as-prepared adsorbent material was investigated using batch adsorption studies. Various influencing factors such as contact time, solution pH, initial fluoride concentration, mass of the adsorbent, temperature, and co-existing ions were systematically investigated towards the removal of fluoride ion on prepared adsorbent material. This study was conducted to identify the optimal conditions of prepared adsorbent for the maximum removal of fluoride ions from aqueous solution. A groundwater sample with fluoride content of more than 1.5ppm was taken and studied in this present work. A basic quality indicator of the synthesized material was examined, and its ability to remove fluoride was determined. The findings provide insight into the selective elimination of fluoride ions from aqueous environment.