Investigation of Media for Removing Fluoride from the Ethiopian Rift Valley Ground Water
No Thumbnail Available
Date
1998-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa Universty
Abstract
The chemical properties of fluorine, fluoride in the human environment; the fluoride
absorption, distribution, and excretion in the human system are briefly reviewed. The beneficial
and toxic effects of fluoride to human, plants, and animals; and several defluoridation methods
have also been briefly reviewed.
Aluminium oxide, alumina, was prepared from aluminium sulphate (hydrate), produced
locally in Awash Melkasa. The defluoridation capacity of 2% HCI treated laboratory product
alumina was compared with commercial acidic alumina. The amounts of acidic alumina required
to bring the fluoride concentration to less than the recommended value by WHO (1.5 mgIL F)
were determined for different concentrations of fluoride. Studies were also made for local kaolin
(beneficiated kaolin), commercial kaolin, and diatomaceous earth. Local kaolin was found to be
a promising defluoridating material. The parameters investigated were contact time, mass, and
volume effect. To some extent the pH effect was also considered. The overall result shows that
acidic alumina and local kaolin are very efficient defluoridating material.
Description
Keywords
Fluoride