Affordable, non-electric, point-of-use water purification solution for fluoride and arsenic safe drinking: a frontline demonstration and study in Indian rural area

In rural India, fluoride and arsenic contaminated groundwater causes widespread fluorosis and arsenicosis. To remove these contaminants, this study describes the design, synthesis, and practical implementation of novel domestic water filtration system (non-electric) that uses nano alumina as a key adsorbent material and efficiently process up to 3,500 L of water with fluoride and arsenic concentrations exceeding 2.5 mg/L and 300 μg/L respectively at a flow rate of 4-5 L h^-1. The nano alumina used was laboratory synthesized and characterized using FTIR, SEM, and XRD. Field studies were carried out in two distinct rural areas: Karkatpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Molu Khedi (Madhya Pradesh) in India. Extensive water quality measurements showed a significant decrease up to 100% in arsenic concentrations and over 95% in fluoride concentrations during early cycles while the filtration system kept physicochemical parameters within allowable bounds. Upon adsorbent saturation, an economical and user-friendly chemical regeneration procedure was used to successfully restore the device's function, proving its operational longevity and viability. Collectively, these findings highlighted the development of nano alumina based filtering technology as a viable, expandable, and affordable way to reduce the health hazards associated with fluoride and arsenic exposure in susceptible rural populations.