Publication Type
Journal Article
Publication Date (Issue Year)
2023
Journal Name
Environmental Advances
Abstract
This study investigated the defluoridation efficiency of hydroxyapatite-activated seaweed (Eucheuma Cottonii) biochar (HSB) at various soil pH ranges (3–11) while monitoring the impact of contact time (30 min - 2.5 h), adsorbent dosage (0.1–0.5 g) as well as the initial fluoride concentration and compare its performance to its respective seaweed biochar (SB). Activation of SB with the hydroxyapatite lead to a shift in its point-zero-charge (pHPZC) from 6 to 7.4 broadening its defluoridation pH range from a solitary 5 to amid 3 through 11. The fluoride adsorption mechanism was found to follow both Langmuir (R2 = 0.956) and Freundlich (R2 = 0.942) isotherm models with a maximum defluoridation capacity of 3.03 mg/g equivalent to the defluoridation efficiency of 79%. This is accounted to the existence of soil ions, SB active sites, and the attached hydroxyapatite, as fluoride adsorption sites each exhibiting a dissimilar fluoride removal mechanism. Therefore, the HSB could be a promising adsorbent for fluoride removal in the fluoride contaminated agricultural soils of inclusive pH ranges
Keywords
Fluoride Hydroxyapatite, Remediation, Seaweed biochar, Soil
Rsif Scholar Name
Ruth Lorivi Moirana
Thematic Area
Minerals, Mining and Materials Engineering
Africa Host University (AHU)
Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Tanzania
Funding Statement
This work was funded by the Partnership for Applied Skills in Sci- ences, Engineering and Technology-Regional Scholarship Innovation Fund (PASET-RSIF) and the East and West Africa farming system-BELT (EWA-BELT) Horizon 2020 project No. 862848. MP was funded by the Research England ‘Expanding Excellence in England’ (E3) – FaNSI programme of the NRI
Recommended Citation
Moirana, R. L., Mkunda, J., Machunda, R., Paradelo, M., & Mtei, K. (2023). Hydroxyapatite-activated seaweed biochar for enhanced remediation of fluoride contaminated soil at various pH ranges. Environmental Advances, 11, 100329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envadv.2022.100329