Fluoride Removal from Groundwater by Adsorption Technology

High fluoride concentration in groundwater has made many drilled boreholes unusable for drinking in parts of Northern region of Ghana. Treatment of the groundwater by adsorption is also hampered by the lack of suitable locally available adsorbents. This thesis highlights through principal component analysis and saturation indices calculations that predominant mechanisms controlling the fluoride enrichment probably include calcite precipitation and Na/Ca exchange processes, which deplete Ca from the groundwater, and promote the dissolution of fluorite. Additionally, aluminium oxide coated media is capable of reducing fluoride in water, suggesting it is a promising defluoridation adsorbent.