Continuous Flow Defluoridation Unit for Rural Water Supply Scheme of Fluoride Prone Areas

High level concentration of fluoride affects human health by causing incurable skeletal and dental fluorosis, non-skeletal manifestation and combinations of above. Defluoridation techniques have been developed and implemented are not continuous and cost effective. At present there is an urgent need of having economically viable continuous flow defluoridation units for rural areas. This study evolves with a noval modification in the popular Nalgonda technique as a continuous flow economical defluoridation unit. Experiments on horizontal and vertical flow defluoridation filter baffles comprising of locally available materials like wood charcoal, medium coarse sand & brick jelly with Nalgonda chemicals revealed that the fluoride removal efficiency of 68% in the pH range of 7 to 8.5 for the maximum 4 mg/l of fluoride concentration has been observed. The economical analysis performed between the assumed extension of a particular comprehensive water supply scheme and the water supply scheme designed with the evolved continuous flow defluoridation unit costs only 26% of the general comprehensive water supply scheme. The independent defluoridation unit costs only 13% of the total cost of the proposed water supply scheme.