Facile Remediation of Fluoride in Aquatic Media Using Modified Polyethylene Container
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Date
2020-07
Authors
Mbugua, Wachira Gerald
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Development of environmentally friendly and economically viable water treatmet
techniques for remediation of fluoride ions in drinking water has gained a huge research
interest. Floridated water is associated with dental and skeletal disorders. Previously used
water treatment methods encountered several limitations such as operational problems
and are not regeneratable. Adsorption technique is easy to use and is regeneratable.
Adsorbents used include activated carbon and bone char. However, activated carbon is
expensive while bone char is not acceptable to some religions. Therefore there is need to
search for cheaper and widely acceptable adsorbents. This research studied the use of
polyethylene wastes from the enivironment `as a green water treatment technique.
Polyethylene wastes were separately dispersed in 1, 2-dichloroethane or liquid vegetable
oil. The dispersed wastes were each divided into two where one portion was chemically
modified with ethylamine, diethylamine and triethylamine separately. Both modified and
unmodified adsorbents were characterized using fourier trasnsform infra red spectroscopy
(FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
The characterized materials were subjected to removal of fluoride ions and optimal
parameters were applied. Liquid vegetable oil dispersed and activated with triethylamine
adsorbent gave an adsorption capacity of 10.30 mg/g at pH 7. 0 fitting well in Langmuir
model (R2
= 0.864) and was a pseudo first order (R2
= 0.726). When 1, 2 dicholoroethane
dispersed and activated with triethylamine adsorbent was used, removal capacity of 0.17
mg/g at pH 4.0 was recorded. Using fabricated container, Lake Baringo water sample
having a fluoride ion concentration of 2.5 mg/L had its fluoride concentration reduced to
1.5 mg/L. Thermodynamic parameter proved that fluoride ions removal was a
spontaneous and exothermic process. This study presents an ecofriendly and cheaper
method for water treatment and helps to curb polyethylene waste menace in the
environment.
Description
A Research Thesis Submitted in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Chemistry) in the School of Pure and Applied Sciences of Kenyatta University. July, 2020
Keywords
Facile Remediation, Fluoride, Aquatic Media, Modified Polyethylene