title: Studies on defluoridation of water by tamarind seed, an unconventional biosorbent.
abstract: Tamarind seed, a household waste from the kitchen is used for the sorptive removal of fluoride from synthetic aqueous solution as well as from field water samples. Batch sorptive defluoridation was conducted under variable experimental conditions such as pH, agitation time, initial fluoride concentration, particle size and sorbent dose. Maximum defluoridation was achieved at pH 7.0. Defluoridation capacity decreases with increase in temperature and particle size. Further, defluoridation follows first order kinetics and Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Desorption was carried out with 0.1 N HCl and is 90 per cent. The surface and sorption characteristics were analysed using FTIR and SEM techniques. All these results indicate the involvement of energetic forces such as coulombic interaction in sorption. For domestic and industrial applications, defluoridation with 100% achievement and subsequent regeneration of adsorbent was performed with a household water filter and fixed bed column respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, S.K.G.S. College, Srivaikuntam, Tuticorin 628 619, Tamil Nadu, India. mahalingam_murugan2004@yahoo.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murugan
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Subramanian
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D005459:Fluorides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010316:Particle Size; D011208:Powders; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D029861:Tamarindus / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D011208:Powders; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D005459:Fluorides