Adsorption Studies of Engineered Nanoadsorbents for Efficient Defluoridation of Potable Water

Abstract

Water pollution is a major problem in developing countries; especially in regions where newlinepeople depend on groundwater for drinking. Nearly forty percent of the world s population is newlinealready facing a water shortage; the cost of water infrastructure has also increased newlinedramatically. The quality of water in rivers and underground has deteriorated, due to newlinepollution by waste and contaminants from cities, industry and agriculture. Natural water newlinebodies have impurities from various sources. The most common contaminants are newlinemicroorganisms, suspended particles, colloidal materials, pesticides and various dissolved newlinemetallic and non-metallic substances. Among these pollutants, anionic pollutant, fluoride in newlinegroundwater has been recognized as one of the most serious problems worldwide. newlineVarious diseases and harmful effects caused by drinking fluoride contaminated water have newlinebeen a great worry for human society. An excessive fluoride intake leads to the loss of newlinecalcium from the tooth matrix, causing cavity formation and ultimately leads to dental newlinefluorosis followed by skeletal fluorosis after prolonged exposure. Fluoride has been newlineimplicated in a number of adverse outcomes related to fertility and pregnancy. Diseases like newlineAlzheimer s, bladder cancer, thyroid disorder and gastrointestinal bleeding can affect the newlinehuman body following an excessive intake of fluoride. Similarly, excessive nitrate intake newlineleads to gastric cancer, goitre, congenital birth defects, hypertension and newlinemethemoglobinemia. newline