Fluoride removal using simple protonated and xanthate modified protonated Ficus religiosa branch powder in a fixed-bed column

Fluoride anion (F-) is considered as micronutrient. It is essential for the maintenance of bone skeleton and prevent dental decay. The excess amounts present in water pose toxicity to the consumers. In the present study, comparative sorption behavior of protonated and xanthate modified powdered branches of Ficus religiosa was investigated for their defluoridation potential in an industrially viable continuous flow mode. The protonated and the chemically modified materials were characterized by SEM, FTIR, and other analytical techniques. The appearance of the band around 1,030 cm(-1) indicated the incorporation of C=S into the modified material. After protonation, amines (NH2) peak was shiftted to acidic site (NH3-) to bind with anions (F-). The efficiency of defluoridation was observed on various bed heights (5-30 cm) and initial concentration (25-100 mg/L) at a constant flow rate of 2 mL/min. The maximum sorption capacity for protonated biomass was found to be 9.03 mg/g, and for xanthate modified biomass 19.72 mg/g at 50 mg/L inlet concentration and 30 cm bed height. Breakthrough curves were obtained and the model (Bed depth service time and Yoon-Nelson) parameters were calculated from respective breakthrough curves. The results indicated that xanthate modified biomass was better for defluoridation of contaminated water than simply protonated one. The study concluded that this material could be efficiently used for the removal of fluoride ions from polluted waters in a continuous flow mode.