DEFLUORIDATION OF WATER USING NEEM (AZADIRACHTA INDICA) LEAF AS ADSORBENT

Civil Engineering

Fluoride is often called a two- edge sword. In the human system this fluoride has a dual personality, a destructive effect when fluoride concentration is greater than 1.5 ppm – dental & skeletal fluorosis and a beneficial effect when concentration is upto 1.0 ppm – caries prevention and health promotion. World Health Organization (WHO) and IS: 10500 recommend that the fluoride content in drinking water should be in the range of 1.0 to 1.5 ppm. Fluoride concentrations beyond the standards cause dental and skeletal fluorosis. This mini project presents the findings of an investigation on the use of neem leaf powder for the defluoridation of water. Here the study presents the suitability of inexpensive leaf adsorbents to effectively remediate fluoride-contaminated water. The efficiency of the sorption of fluoride ion is affected by contact time, pH and concentration of adsorbents. Treated leaf powder was studied at various pHs, adsorbent dosage and contact time with aqueous solutions containing 10 mg /l fluoride ion. The maximum adsorption of fluoride is at pH 2. For pH greater than 2 fluoride removal decreases sharply. The sufficient time for adsorption equilibrium of fluoride ions is 120 min and maximum removal efficiency obtained is 85% at adsorbent dose 10 g/l.

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