ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Soil adsorption defluoridation of drinking water for an Ethiopian rural community

M. Errico, F. Desogus, M. Mascia, G. Tola, and L. Dendena

Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica e Materiali, Piazza D’Armi, 09123 Cagliari, Italy

E-mail: m.errico@dicm.unica.it

Received: 3 May 2006  Revised: 27 July 2006  Accepted: 1 August 2006

Abstract: Content of fluoride compounds in some typical Ethiopian water sources was analysed and several commonly available soils were characterized for their adsorption properties regarding the water defluoridation. Various soils were collected in different Ethiopian sites and the samples were analysed by X-ray diffractometry for their mineralogical composition. Batch experimental runs at room temperature were performed to evaluate the adsorption capacity of each soil sample as well as to deduce the adsorption isotherms of fluoride ions with respect to the examined soils. The best soil was identified in terms of adsorption capacity and considered for the design of two different adsorption apparatuses. Considering the water consumption of a small rural community, the capacity of the adsorption unit was selected to assure a reduction of the fluoride concentration in drinking water to the limits recommended by the World Health Organization and to allow a suitable working time of the adsorption unit before the replacement of adsorbent would be necessary.

Keywords: drinking water treatment - soil adsorption - defluoridation - equilibrium - kinetics - modelling

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-006-0083-z

Chemical Papers 60 (6) 460–465 (2006)