Fixed-Bed Adsorption Comparisons of Bone Char and Activated Alumina for the Removal of Fluoride from Drinking Water
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 146, Issue 1
Abstract
Fluoride is commonly found at elevated concentrations in groundwaters worldwide and is difficult to remove even with activated alumina (AA) adsorption, the best available technology. Consequently, alternative treatment technologies for fluoride removal continue to be researched, including the use of bone char (BC) adsorption. However, BC studies are limited mostly to batch or equilibrium studies, which can be difficult to extend to full-scale applications. Therefore, the goal of this study was to compare a BC to a commercial AA for treating groundwater with a naturally occurring fluoride concentration of using pilot- and bench-scale fixed-bed adsorption tests. At the pilot scale using an empty bed contact time (EBCT) of 10 min, fluoride breakthrough reached within 450 bed volumes (3.1 days) and 650 bed volumes (4.5 days) for BC and AA, respectively. Two designs of the rapid small-scale column test (RSSCT) were applied to simulate the pilot columns, where the proportional diffusivity RSSCT (PD-RSSCT) design provided a more adequate prediction of fluoride breakthrough to . The PD-RSSCT was also used to evaluate BC and AA EBCTs of 10 and 20 min, with the longer EBCT providing no significant increase in adsorbent use efficiency. Complete BC regeneration using countercurrent flow to the PD-RSSCT was limited by exposure to the sodium hydroxide regenerant solution and, potentially, the presence of arsenic.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
This work was conducted through the Bureau of Reclamation Science and Technology Program with the support of Yuliana Porras-Mendoza. The authors would also like to thank Nathan Kuhnert and Collins Balcombe with the Oklahoma-Texas Area Office, Jonah Levine with Confluence Energy, and staff associated with the city of Lawton, Great Plains Technology Center, and Garver.
Disclaimers
The views, analysis, recommendations, and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not represent official or unofficial policies or opinions of the US government, and the US government takes no position with regard to any findings, conclusions, or recommendations made. As such, mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the US government.
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 146 • Issue 1 • January 2020
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©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 8, 2019
Accepted: May 30, 2019
Published online: Oct 31, 2019
Published in print: Jan 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Mar 31, 2020
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