(663f) Study of Fluoride Adsorption Onto Nanostructured Zirconium-Manganese Based Particle

Fluoride is of a great concern as it is one of the major inorganic pollutants found in
groundwater. In this study, a nanostructured zirconium-manganese binary hydrous oxide was
prepared for the removal of fluoride from aqueous solution. Kinetics study revealed that the most
uptake of fluoride took place within the first 6 h. The adsorption isotherm was well described by
Langmuir equation, and the maximum adsorption of 71 mg/g was found at the pH between 2.5 to 3.5.
The presence of humic acid and sulphate ions had limited influences on the adsorption. However, the
presence of phosphate and silicate ions reduced the uptake of fluoride. The ionic strength had less
significant effect on the adsorption. The adsorption of fluoride onto the sorbent surface was further
confirmed by EDX, FTIR and XPS analysis. The presence of clear F 1s peak in the XPS analysis
confirmed the binding of fluoride on the surface of sorbent. Finally, the cytotoxicity study by the MCF7
cell line demonstrated that the toxicity of nanoparticle was not an issue of concern. Our study illustrate
that the nanoparticle may serve as a better material for the removal of fluoride from contaminated
water.