FLUORIDE REMOVAL BY AN ELECTRO-COAGULATION USING IRON AND ALUMINUM ELECTRODES

• Published in: Fluoride Vol. 45; no. 3; pp. 154 - 155
• Main Authors: Bazrafshan, E, Mahvi, AH
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.09.2012
• ISSN: 0015-4725

Fluoride in drinking water above permissible levels is often responsible for skeletal fluorosis in humans. The present study was carried out to assess the ability of electro-coagulation with iron and aluminum electrodes to remove fluoride from aqueous solutions. Several working parameters, such as fluoride concentration, pH, applied voltage, and reaction time, were studied to achieve a higher removal capacity. Variable concentrations (1, 5, and 10 mg/L) of fluoride solutions were prepared by mixing proper amounts of sodium fluoride with deionized water. Varying the pH of the initial solution (3, 7, and 10) was also studied to measure effects on the fluoride removal efficiency. Results with synthetic solutions revealed that the most effective fluoride removal capacity could be achieved at an electrical potential of 40 V. In addition, increase of electrical potential in the range of 10-40 V enhanced the rate of fluoride removal. Also, comparison of fluoride removal efficiency showed it to be similar with iron and aluminum electrodes. Finally, it can be concluded that electro-coagulation has potential for cost-effective removal of fluoride from water and wastewater.