Removal of fluoride from wastewater with the Mg/Al impregnated adsorbent prepared from Chinar leaves: Adsorption isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic studies

The present study focuses on creating a novel functionalized adsorbent AC-Al-Mg-La for the extraction of fluoride ions from wastewater. The characterizations of the adsorbent were analyzed before and after modification by employing the techniques such as FTIR, XRD, SEMand zeta potential. The suggested adsorbent materials were evaluated for their effectiveness in treating fluoridated water. The impacts of the adsorbent dosage, initial pollutant level, water pH, and regeneration efficiency were assessed. Fluoride ion adsorption was highest at the optimal conditions of pH 4.0 ± 0.1; 30 min contact time, and a 0.15 g/L adsorbent dose. However, adsorption efficiency decreased at higher pH levels.At pH 4.0 ± 0.1, the peak adsorption efficiencies observed after 30 min of contact time with 0.15 g/L of the adsorbent dose were 72% for AC-La, 81% for AC-Al, 89% for AC-Mg, and 96% for AC-Al-Mg-La. The analysis of the AC-Al-Mg-La material's regeneration capabilities showed that, even after five consecutive cycles of adsorption and regeneration, it maintained decontamination potential of 71% after first cycle and reduced to 41% after fifth regeneration, representing a 30% reduction in effectiveness. This paper intends to encourage novel ideas and advancements in the creation of the next generation of eco-friendly adsorbent for defluorination.