Fluoride Reduction in Water Using Cow and Fish Bones

Abstract

Northern, Northeastern, and Western region of Thailand have high levels of fluoride in groundwater. This effect might harm to the health of consumers. Nowadays, several materials involve bone char and hydroxyapatite were studied for the process of fluoride reduction in water. In this study, animal bones from fish and bovine were used as raw materials for the synthesis of bone char and hydroxyapatite using a thermal decomposition method. The transformation of crystalline phase and microstructure of samples were investigated using X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Synthesized bone char and hydroxyapatite washed by deionized water and carbonic acid were then investigated for their ability to reduce fluoride in water by using batch equilibration method with 10 mg/L concentration of fluoride at pH 5. The crystalline phase of cow bone transformed to bone char and hydroxyapatite at 400 and 1,000 degrees Celsius, respectively. The 0.5 gram of hydroxyapatite made from bovine bone washed by carbonic acid could maximum reduced 40% (0.8 mg F ^-/g) of fluoride in water.