Groundwater is the most appropriate and widely used source of drinking water for many rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Studies reveal that in some of the boreholes, F- concentration may be way beyond the recommended limits. This study evaluates the use of raw unprocessed bentonite clay and its Fe3+ modified form for fluoride adsorption. A series of batch adsorption experiments were carried out to evaluate parameters that influence the adsorption process. Fe3+-bentonite exhibited ? 100 % F- removal as opposed to unprocessed bentonite < 5 % at initial concentration of 10 ppm F-. The Fe3+ modified bentonite exhibited ? 100 % F- removal over the pH range 2-10 decreasing at pH > 10, while the unprocessed bentonite clay showed an increase in fluoride concentration over the same pH range. The results indicate that Fe3+-modified bentonite is a candidate adsorbent for point of use water defluoridation systems for house hold use in rural areas.
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