Equilibrium and Kinetic Studies for Fluoride Adsorption from Water on Zirconium Impregnated Coconut Shell Carbon

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Abstract
The batch adsorptive fluoride removal from water by Zirconium ion impregnated coconut shell carbon (ZICSC) was investigated. ZICSC was found to have fluoride adsorption capacity, 25 to 30 times that of plain activated carbon. The effect of various parameters such as pH, agitation time, and adsorbent dosage on fluoride removal were studied. The fluoride adsorption by ZICSC was above 90% for the entire pH range of 2–9 and the adsorption rate was extremely rapid, with 91% of the adsorption being achieved within 10 min of ZICSC contact for an initial fluoride concentration of 10 mg/L. The experimental data have been analyzed by Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich‐Peterson, and Temkin sorption isotherm models and the adsorption data for fluoride onto ZICSC were better correlated to the Langmuir isotherm. The batch adsorption kinetics have been tested by first order, pseudo‐first order, and pseudo‐second order kinetic models with the subsequent determination of the rate constants of adsorption. The comparison of ZICSC with other adsorbents suggests that ZICSC provides a cost‐effective working solution to the defluoridation problem in the developing countries by its great potential application in fluoride removal from water.