Bioremoval Of Fluoride Ion From The Ground Water

Abstract

newline Water is most essential amenity available on earth playing potentially significant role in survival of life. But fast pacing techno-mechanical developments are resulting into the deterioration of potable water quality at an alarming rate. Fast urbanization, dramatic increase in population, and wide spreading of industrialization is majorly contributing the various toxic organic and inorganic contaminants in naturally available aquatic streams either on the surface or under the surface. The release of various toxic substances such as hazardous metal ions, high concentrations of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Nitrates, Chlorides, fluorides and many other substances has posed a serious threat to the utilization of drinkable water. Water is a considerable channel of fluoride intake by living organisms. Depending upon the concentrations of fluorides available in water, it is either beneficial or detrimental. The raised levels of fluorides are major cause of dental and skeletal fluorosis in rural as well as urban areas. newlineNaturally Fluoride it is found in rocks, soil and fresh water. Weathering of fluoride containing rocks and soils leads to leaching of these ions from the soil into ground water. Further it also makes its place into ground water due to dissolution from minerals/rocks like topaz, fluorite, fluorspar, cryolite, fluorapatite etc. Fluorides in the form of salts with monovalent cations i.e. NaF and KF are water soluble but salts of fluoride with divalent cations such as CaF2 are insoluble in water. According to W.H.O permissible limit of Fluoride in water is 1.5 ppm.Beyond this limit it is necessary to remove fluoride. newlineSince last decade numerous conventional treatment methods were applied for the removal of fluorides from aquatic environmental streams such as ion exchange, precipitation, electrodialysis etc. by various researchers across the globe. newlineAlthough numerous available conventional methods have various advantages but due to inherent limitations, there is a