Fluoride is a contaminant in groundwater; hence numerous procedures for its removal are reported. Adsorption studies are specified as effective methods for removal of fluoride contamination from water sources. In the present study, aluminum crosslinked alginate beads are used as an adsorbent for fluoride removal from aqueous solutions. Adsorption experiments were carried out by batch contact method. The equilibrium was achieved in 4 h. Optimal conditions were found to be pH 2 at 25°C, giving rise to 99.5% removal of fluoride. Various kinetic (pseudo-first and -second order, intraparticle diffusion, and Elovich) and isotherm [Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R), and Temkin] models were applied to the adsorption data. The maximum adsorption capacity was determined as 75.2 mg/g from the Langmuir isotherm. The value of mean sorption energy was calculated as 2.75 kJ/mol (<8 kJ/mol) from the D-R isotherm, which indicates a physical adsorption. Thermodynamic parameters were also calculated and negative DG values were related to a spontaneous nature of the adsorption. This study suggests that aluminum alginate beads can be used as efficient, cheap and eco-friendly adsorbents for the removal of fluoride from contaminated water.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.