Synthesis of porous hydroxysodalite from aluminosilicate rich clay soils: application towards fluoride and pathogen removal

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2023-02, Vol.30 (9), p.22483-22493
• Main Authors: Gitari, Wilson Mugera, Obijole, Olumuyiwa Adewale, Mudzielwana, Rabelani
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adsorbents; Adsorption; agitation; aluminum silicates; antimicrobial properties; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Clay; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Escherichia coli; fluorides; Fluorides - analysis; groundwater; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Kinetics; pathogens; Porosity; reaction kinetics; Research Article; Soil; sorption isotherms; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollution Control; Water Purification - methods
• ISSN: 1614-7499; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23575-8

This article discussed the potential application of hydrothermally synthesized porous hydroxysodalite material synthesized from aluminosilicate clay material as a multifunctional adsorbent for fluoride and pathogen removal from groundwater. The efficiency of the material towards fluoride removal was evaluated using batch experiments while the efficacy against the E. coli strain was evaluated using well-assay diffusion method. The material showed a maximum fluoride adsorption capacity of 6.01 mg/g at initial concentration range of 5 to 100 mg/L when 1 g/100 mL adsorbent dosage was used at initial pH of 6 ± 0.5 after agitation time of 10 min. The adsorption kinetics data fitted better to pseudo first order of reaction kinetics indicating the dominance of physiosorption adsorption mechanism while the adsorption isotherm data showed better fit to both Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm model confirming monolayer and multilayer adsorption. The material was successfully regenerated and reused for up to eight successive regeneration-reuse cycles. However, its efficiency was inhibited by the presence of Cl − and CO 3 2− . The material also proven to have antimicrobial activity against E. coli strain. This study concluded that the porous hydroxysodalite material prepared in this study can be used as a multifunctional adsorbent for fluoride and pathogen removal from groundwater.