Optimizing Char-Based Filtration Materials for Fluoride Removal from Drinking Water

摘要

There is a global drinking water crisis. Even as the Millennium Development Goal for drinking water has been achieved, there are over 780 million people without access to improved drinking water sources. Microbial contamination in water is the issue that causes the largest amount of drinking water-related illnesses, but geogenic water issues, such as fluoride, arsenic and other chemicals in water are the second key issue reducing access to safe drinking water. One of the geogenic issues that affects the most people is fluoride, found naturally occurring in the ground water of many parts of the world, which causes a variety of detrimental health affects. Filtration materials such as bone char and activated alumina have been studied for many years to assess their effectiveness at fluoride removal from drinking water. However, in many situations these are not the most helpful fluoride removal options due to costs or cultural issues. Therefore, it is helpful for researchers to continue assessing improvements for these technologies as well as alternative technologies and their implementation strategies.