Evaluation of the feasibility of short-term electrodialysis for separating naturally occurring fluoride from instant brick tea infusion.

BACKGROUND: Removing excessive naturally occurring fluoride from tea and/or infusions is difficult because the process has low efficiency and causes secondary pollution. In this study, a novel electrodialysis (ED) technology was developed. We examined the effect of crucial parameters (electrolyte concentration, operation voltage, ED duration and initial concentration of the tea infusion) on defluoridation performance using a highly efficient ion-exchange membrane with five-compartment cells. RESULTS: The most effective ED system results were obtained at an electrolyte concentration of 10 g kg-1 and operating voltage of 20 V. Moreover, the fluoride removal capacity (10.70-66.93%) was highly dependent on the ED duration (1-15 min) and initial concentration of the tea infusion (0.5-10 g kg-1 ). The longer the ED duration and the lower the initial concentration, the higher was the defluoridation performance. During ED, limited loss of the main inclusions (total polyphenols, catechins, caffeine and selected ions) was observed. Furthermore, the D201 anion resin-filled ED stack (0.5-5 g) and improvement of concentrate compartment electrolyte (≥5 times the dilute compartment electrolyte) in the ED system enhanced the defluoridation rate significantly. CONCLUSION: ED is a potentially effective method that can be used for defluoridation in the deep processing of tea products. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Hydrothermal synthesis of magnetic iron oxide encrusted hydrocalumite-chitosan composite for defluoridation studies.

A magnetic adsorbent namely magnetic iron oxide encrusted hydrocalumite-chitosan (Fe3O4@HCCS) composite was prepared by the fabrication of magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) particles on hydrocalumite-chitosan (HCCS) composite for fluoride sorption studies in batch mode. The prepared magnetic Fe3O4@HCCS composite possesses an enhanced defluoridation capacity (DC) of 6.8mg/g compared to hydrocalumite (HC) which possesses the DC of 2.4mg/g. The various physico-chemical parameters such as contact time, pH, co-existing anions, initial fluoride concentration and temperature were optimized for the maximum fluoride removal. The structural changes of the sorbent, before and after fluoride sorption were studied using FTIR and SEM with EDAX techniques. The equilibrium data was well modeled by Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. The thermodynamic parameters revealed the feasibility, spontaneity and endothermic nature of fluoride sorption. The field performance and efficiency of Fe3O4@HCCS composite was examined with the waste-water sample collected from a fluoride endemic area of Dindigul district, Tamilnadu, India using standard protocols.

Defluoridation of synthetic and industrial wastewater by using acidic activated alumina adsorbent: characterization and optimization by response surface methodology.

Excessive contamination of fluoride in wastewater is the cause of several chronic health problems. For this purpose, an adsorbent was prepared from alumina by acidic activation using sulfuric acid. The current research aims to find the maximum fluoride adsorption (%) from synthetic and industrial wastewater at optimum process parameters by using response surface methodology (RSM). All batch scale experiments were carried out according to the statistical-design order. Central composite design (CCD) was applied to ascertain the effect of adsorbent dose, pH, initial fluoride concentration and temperature on fluoride adsorption (%). Maximum fluoride removal was predicted based on the quadratic model developed. Validation of the model was done with negligible error. The regression coefficient of the model was found to be 0.96. From the analysis of variance (ANOVA), the factors with the greatest effect on the adsorption of fluoride were identified. Under optimized condition, the adsorbent dose 13.89 g L-1, pH 5.52, temperature 25 °C and initial fluoride concentration 18.67 mg L-1 resulted in 96% of maximum fluoride adsorption. Under the same optimized parameters, the fluoride adsorption from industrial wastewater found to be 92.10%.

Removal of fluoride from wastewater using HCl-treated activated alumina in a ribbed hydrocyclone separator.

Excessive fluoride concentration in wastewater is a major health concern worldwide. The main objective of wastewater treatment is to allow industrial effluents to be disposed of without danger to the human health and the natural environment. In this current study, experiments have been conducted to remove fluoride from aqueous solution using alumina and HCl (Hydrochloric acid) treated activated alumina in a continuous mode. A spiral rib was introduced in the cylindrical part of the conventional hydrocyclone to increase the performance, and the new hydrocyclone is dubbed as ribbed hydrocyclone. Experiments were carried out to analyze the performance of the ribbed hydrocyclone and compared the results with the conventional hydrocyclone of the same dimension. The efficiency of conventional and ribbed hydrocyclone at a slurry flow rate of 50 LPM (liter per minute) for the solid concentration of 1.4 wt% were 80% and 93.5% respectively. The cut size d50 of the conventional and ribbed hydrocyclone was 18 µm and 13 µm respectively at a slurry velocity of 50 LPM. Fluoride removal efficiency using alumina and HCl-treated alumina was also investigated in a continuous mode by the ribbed hydrocyclone. Maximum fluoride removal efficiency was 49.5%, and 80% for alumina and HCl-treated alumina for the initial concentration of 10 mg/L at a slurry flow rate of 50 LPM.

Fungus hyphae-supported alumina: An efficient and reclaimable adsorbent for fluoride removal from water.

A reclaimable adsorbent of fungus hyphae-supported alumina (FHSA) bio-nanocomposites was developed, characterized and applied in fluoride removal from water. This adsorbent can be fast assembled and disassemble reversibly, promising efficient reclamation and high accessible surface area for fluoride adsorption. Adsorption experiments demonstrate that the FHSA performed well over a considerable wide pH range of 3-10 with high fluoride removal efficiencies (>66.3%). The adsorption capacity was 105.60mgg-1 for FHSA, much higher than that for the alumina nanoparticles (50.55mgg-1) and pure fungus hyphae (22.47mgg-1). The adsorption capacity calculated by the pure content of alumina in the FHSA is 340.27mgg-1 of alumina. Kinetics data reveal that the fluoride adsorption process on the FHSA was fast, nearly 90% fluoride adsorption can be achieved within 40min. The fluoride adsorption on the FHSA is mainly due to the surface complexes formation of fluoride with AlOH and the attraction between protonated NH2 and fluoride through hydrogen bonding. Findings demonstrate that the FHSA has potential applicability in fluoride removal due to its strong fluoride adsorbility and the easy reclamation by its fast reversible assembly and disassembly feature.

Removal of boron and fluoride in wastewater using Mg-Al layered double hydroxide and Mg-Al oxide.

Mg-Al layered double hydroxide intercalated with NO3- and Mg-Al oxide were found to remove hazardous materials such as B and As, as well as Cl- and SO42-, from artificial and real hot spring wastewater. However, compared with the mixture of Al2(SO4)3 and Ca(OH)2, both adsorbents were inferior for the removal of B from real hot spring wastewater. Both adsorbents were also found to remove F- and PO43- from artificial semiconductor plant wastewater. Both adsorbents have the same ability to remove B from landfill wastewater as the mixture of Al2(SO4)3 and Ca(OH)2; furthermore, both remove Cl-, Br-, and SO42-. The benefit of Mg-Al layered double hydroxide intercalated with NO3- is that it does not require neutralization after the treatment. Overall, it can be stated that among the materials tested, Mg-Al layered double hydroxide intercalated with NO3- is the most suitable adsorbent for the treatment of hot spring and landfill wastewater.

Preparation and characterization of γ-AlOOH @CS magnetic nanoparticle as a novel adsorbent for removing fluoride from drinking water.

For this study, a novel adsorbent of γ-AlOOH @CS (pseudoboehmite and chitosan shell) magnetic nanoparticles (ACMN) with magnetic separation capabilities was developed to remove fluoride from drinking water. The adsorbent was first characterized, and then its performance in removing fluoride was evaluated. Kinetic data demonstrated rapid fluoride adsorption with more than 80% fluoride adsorption within the initial 20 min and equilibrium reached in 60 min. Based on the results of kinetic and isotherm models, the fluoride adsorption process on the ACMN's surface was a monolayer adsorption on a homogeneous surface. Thermodynamic parameters presented that the adsorption process is spontaneous and endothermic in nature. The mechanism for the adsorption involved electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding. Moreover, the calculated adsorption capacity of the ACMN for fluoride using the Langmuir model was 67.5 mg/g (20°C, pH=7.0±0.1), higher than other fluoride removal adsorbents. This nanoadsorbent performed well over a pH range of 4-10. The study found that PO4(3-) was the co-existing anion most able to hinder the nanoparticle's fluoride adsorption, followed by NO3(-) then Cl(-). Experimental results suggest that ACMN is a promising adsorbent for treating fluoride-contaminated water.

Fluoride removal mechanism of bayerite/boehmite nanocomposites: roles of the surface hydroxyl groups and the nitrate anions.

Three-dimensional feather like bayerite/boehmite nanocomposites were synthesized by a facile one-pot hydrothermal method. The obtained nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. The removal properties toward fluoride were investigated, including adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherm, and influences of pH and coexisting anions. The maximal adsorption capacity was 56.80 mg g(-1) at pH 7.0, which is favorable compared to those reported in the literature using other adsorbents. The coexisting of sulfate and bicarbonate inhibited the fluoride removal especially at high concentrations. Furthermore, the removal mechanism was revealed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results suggest that both of the surface hydroxyl groups and the nitrate anions were participated in the ion-exchange process.

Water defluoridation by aluminium oxide-manganese oxide composite material.

In this study, aluminium oxide-manganese oxide (AOMO) composite material was synthesized, characterized, and tested for fluoride removal in batch experiments. AOMO was prepared from manganese(II) chloride and aluminium hydroxide. The surface area of AOMO was found to be 30.7m2/g and its specific density was determined as 2.78 g/cm3. Detailed investigation of the adsorbent by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, and ion chromatography (for sulphate only) showed that it is composed of Al, Mn, SO4, and Na as major components and Fe, Si, Ca, and Mg as minor components. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to study the thermal behaviour of AOMO. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the adsorbent is poorly crystalline. The point of zero charge was determined as 9.54. Batch experiments (by varying the proportion of MnO, adsorbent dose, contact time, initial F concentration, and raw water pH) showed that fluoride removal efficiency ofAOMO varied significantly with percentage of MnO with an optimum value of about I11% of manganese oxide in the adsorbent. The optimum dose of the adsorbent was 4 g/L which corresponds to the equilibrium adsorption capacity of 4.8 mg F-/g. Both the removal efficiency and adsorption capacity showed an increasing trend with an increase in initial fluoride concentration of the water. The pH for optimum fluoride removal was found to be in the range between 5 and 7. The adsorption data were analysed using the Freundlich, Langmuir, and Dubinirn-Radushkevich models. The minimum adsorption capacity obtained from the non-linear Freundlich isotherm model was 4.94 mg F-/g and the maximum capacity from the Langmuir isotherm method was 19.2mg F-/g. The experimental data of fluoride adsorption on AOMO fitted well to the Freundlich isotherm model. Kinetic studies showed that the adsorption is well described by a non-linear pseudo-second-order reaction model with an average rate constant of 3.1 x 10(-2) g/min mg. It is concluded that AOMO is a highly promising adsorbent for the removal of excess fluoride from drinking water.

Synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of simple aluminum-based adsorbents for fluoride removal from drinking water.

Simple aluminum (hydr)oxides and layered double hydroxides were synthesized using common chemicals and equipment by varying synthesis temperature, concentrations of extra sulfate and citrate, and metal oxide amendments. Aluminum (hydr)oxide samples were aged at either 25 or 200°C during synthesis and, in some cases, calcined at 600 °C. Despite yielding increased crystallinity and mineral phase changes, higher temperatures had a generally negative effect on fluoride adsorption. Addition of extra sulfate during synthesis of aluminum (hydr)oxides led to significantly higher fluoride adsorption capacity compared to aluminum (hydr)oxides prepared with extra citrate or no extra ligands. X-ray diffraction results suggest that extra sulfate led to the formation of both pseudoboehmite (γ-AlOOH) and basaluminite (Al4SO4(OH)10⋅4H2O) at 200 °C; energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the presence of sulfur in this solid. Treatment of aluminum (hydr)oxides with magnesium, manganese, and iron oxides did not significantly impact fluoride adsorption. While layered double hydroxides exhibited high maximum fluoride adsorption capacities, their adsorption capacities at dissolved fluoride concentrations close to the World Health Organization drinking water guideline of 1.5 mg L(-1) were much lower than those for the aluminum (hydr)oxides.

Sulfate-doped Fe3O4/Al2O3 nanoparticles as a novel adsorbent for fluoride removal from drinking water.

A novel adsorbent of sulfate-doped Fe3O4/Al2O3 nanoparticles with magnetic separability was developed for fluoride removal from drinking water. The nanosized adsorbent was characterized and its performance in fluoride removal was evaluated. Kinetic data reveal that the fluoride adsorption was rapid in the beginning followed by a slower adsorption process, nearly 90% adsorption can be achieved within 20 min and only 10-15% additional removal occurred in the following 8 h. The fluoride adsorption isotherm was well described by Elovich model. The calculated adsorption capacity of this nanoadsorbent for fluoride by two-site Langmuir model was 70.4 mg/g at pH 7.0. Moreover, this nanoadsorbent performed well over a considerable wide pH range of 4-10, and the fluoride removal efficiencies reached up to 90% and 70% throughout the pH range of 4-10 with initial fluoride concentrations of 10 mg/L and 50 mg/L, respectively. The observed sulfate-fluoride displacement and decreased sulfur content on the adsorbent surface reveal that anion exchange process was an important mechanism for fluoride adsorption by the sulfate-doped Fe3O4/Al2O3 nanoparticles. Moreover, a shift of the pH of zero point charge (pHPZC) of the nanoparticles and surface analysis based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) suggest the formation of inner-sphere fluoride complex at the aluminum center as another adsorption mechanism. With the exception of PO4(3-), other co-existing anions (NO3(-), Cl(-) and SO4(2-)) did not evidently inhibit fluoride removal by the nanoparticles. Findings of this study demonstrate the potential utility of the nanoparticles as an effective adsorbent for fluoride removal from drinking water.

Removal of phosphorus, fluoride and metals from a gypsum mining leachate using steel slag filters.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the capacity of steel slag filters to treat a gypsum mining leachate containing 11-107 mg P/L ortho-phosphates, 9-37 mg/L fluoride, 0.24-0.83 mg/L manganese, 0.20-3.3 zinc and 1.7-8.2 mg/L aluminum. Column tests fed with reconstituted leachates were conducted for 145-222 days and sampled twice a week. Two types of electric arc furnace (EAF) slags and three filter sequences were tested. The voids hydraulic retention time (HRT(v)) of columns ranged between 4.3 and 19.2 h. Precipitates of contaminants present in columns were sampled and analyzed with X-ray diffraction at the end of tests. The best removal efficiencies over a period of 179 days were obtained with sequential filters that were composed of Fort Smith EAF slag operated at a total HRT(v) of 34 h which removed 99.9% of phosphorus, 85.3% of fluoride, 98.0% of manganese and 99.3% of zinc. Mean concentration at this system's effluent was 0.04 mg P/L ortho-phosphates, 4 mg/L fluoride, 0.02 mg/L manganese, 0.02 zinc and 0.5 mg/L aluminum. Thus, slag filters are promising passive and economical systems for the remediation of mining effluents. Phosphorus was removed by the formation of apatite (hydroxyapatite, Ca(5)(PO(4))(3)OH or fluoroapatite, Ca(5)(PO(4))(3)F) as confirmed by visual and X-ray diffraction analyses. The growth rate of apatite was favored by a high phosphorus concentration. Calcite crystals were present in columns and appeared to be competing for calcium and volume needed for apatite formation. The calcite crystal growth rate was higher than that of apatite crystals. Fluoride was removed by precipitation of fluoroapatite and its removal was favored by a high ratio of phosphorus to fluoride in the wastewater.

Utilization of waste phosphogypsum to prepare hydroxyapatite nanoparticles and its application towards removal of fluoride from aqueous solution.

In the present study, waste phosphogypsum (PG) was utilized firstly to prepare hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHAp) via microwave irradiation technology. The nHAp derived from PG exhibited a hexagonal structure with the particle size about 20 nm × 60 nm and high purity. Meanwhile, the adsorption behaviour of fluoride onto the nHAp derived from PG was investigated to evaluate the potential application of this material for the treatment of the wastewater polluted with fluoride. The results indicate that the nHAp derived from PG can be used as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of fluoride from aqueous solution. The maximum adsorption capacities calculated from Langmuir-Freundlich model were 19.742, 26.108, 36.914 and 40.818 mg F(-)/g nHAp for 298, 308, 318 and 328 K, respectively. The pseudo-second order kinetic model was found to provide the best correlation of the used experimental data compared to the pseudo-first order and the adsorption isotherm could be well defined by Langmuir-Freundlich equation. The adsorption mechanism investigation shows that electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bond are the main driving force for fluoride uptake onto nHAp derived from waste PG.

Superb fluoride and arsenic removal performance of highly ordered mesoporous aluminas.

Highly ordered mesoporous aluminas and calcium-doped aluminas were synthesized through a facile and reproducible method. Their fluoride adsorption characteristics, including adsorption isotherms, adsorption kinetics, the effect of pH and co-existing anions were investigated. These materials exhibited strong affinity to fluoride ions and extremely high defluoridation capacities. The highest defluoridation capacity value reached 450 mg/g. These materials also showed superb arsenic removal ability. 1g of mesoporous alumina was able to treat 200 kg of arsenic contaminated water with a pH value of 7, reducing the concentration of arsenate from 100 ppb to 1 ppb.

Removal of fluoride ions from water by adsorption onto carbonaceous materials produced from coffee grounds.

Carbonaceous material for the removal of fluoride ions from water was prepared from coffee grounds (CGs) by calcination and subsequent HCl treatment. The characteristics of the CGs, including the surface area, mean pore diameter, pore volume, and surface functional groups were determined, and the morphological characteristics were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy. The adsorption isotherms, saturated amount of fluoride ions adsorbed, and the effect of contact time and temperature on the adsorption of fluoride ions were investigated for a sample of tap water. The specific surface area of CG calcined at 600° (CG600) was larger than that of CGs calcined at 400, 800, and 1000°. Phenolic, lactonic, and carboxyl groups were detected on the CG600 surface. The adsorption capacity of the carbonized CGs for fluoride was ranked in the order CG400 < CG1000 < CG800 < CG600 (where the numeral indicates the carbonization temperature), whereas virgin CG and CG600-NAT (not treated with hydrochloric acid solution) did not exhibit any adsorption ability for fluoride ions. The amount of fluoride ions adsorbed onto CG600 increased with increasing temperature and was consistent with chemical adsorption. The mechanism of adsorption of fluoride ions onto CG600 proceeded via ion exchange with chloride ions (1:1) present on the surface of CG600. The adsorption isotherms were fitted to the Freundlich and Langmuir equations. Moreover, CG600 showed an acceptable adsorption capacity for fluoride ions present in tap water.

Mn-Ce oxide as a high-capacity adsorbent for fluoride removal from water.

A novel Mn-Ce oxide adsorbent with high sorption capacity for fluoride was prepared via co-precipitation method in this study, and the granular adsorbent was successfully prepared by calcining the mixture of the Mn-Ce powder and pseudo-boehmite. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image showed that the Mn-Ce adsorbent consisted of about 4.5 nm crystals, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated the formation of solid solution by Mn species entering CeO(2) lattices. The surface hydroxyl group density on the Mn-Ce adsorbent was determined to be as high as 15.3 mmol g(-1), mainly responsible for its high sorption capacity for fluoride. Sorption isotherms showed that the sorption capacities of fluoride on the powdered and granular adsorbent were 79.5 and 45.5 mg g(-1) respectively at the equilibrium fluoride concentration of 1 mg L(-1), much higher than all reported adsorbents. Additionally, the adsorption was fast within the initial 1 h. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis revealed that the hydroxyl groups on the adsorbent surface were involved in the sorption of fluoride. Both anion exchange and electrostatic interaction were involved in the sorption of fluoride on the Mn-Ce oxide adsorbent.

Improvement of a three-step process for the treatment of aluminium hazardous wastes containing PAHs (benzo[b,j,k]fluoranthene and chrysene) and fluoride.

Hazardous wastes from a primary aluminium production plant could be decontaminated by a three-step process. First, the PAHs contained in these wastes were extracted with an amphoteric surfactant (0.25% or 0.50% w/w of cocamidopropylhydroxysultaine [CAS]) by cell or column flotation, depending on the particle size fraction (under or above 500 microm). Then, the fluorides were stabilized with lime (8% w/w) or a mixture of lime (4% w/w) and phosphoric acid (0.95% w/w). The decontaminated wastes satisfied the Quebec PAH norm, fixed at 1000 mg kg(-1), with values of 900 +/- 352 mg kg(-1) and 624 +/- 179 mg kg(-1) for benzo(b,j,k)fluoranthene (BJK) at laboratory and pilot scales, respectively. The fluoride stabilization in the treated wastes was characterized by TCLP values of 138 +/- 67 mg F- L(-1) and 29.5 +/- 7.6 mg F- L(-1) for laboratory and pilot experiments, which were under the Quebec norm (< 150 mg F- L(-1)). Finally, the metals in the process effluent were recovered by precipitation with sulphuric acid (10% v/v), and the final effluent and metallic residue obtained were recirculated without liquid fraction enrichment impact. The whole process was successfully tested at pilot scale. The preliminary economic study showed the potential of the process for the treatment of aluminium hazardous wastes.

Defluoridation from aqueous solutions by nano-alumina: characterization and sorption studies.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of nano-alumina (Al(2)O(3)) for fluoride adsorption from aqueous solutions. The nature and morphology of pure and fluoride-sorbed nano-alumina were characterized by SEM with EDX, XRD, and FTIR analysis. Batch adsorption studies were performed as a function of contact time, initial fluoride concentration, temperature, pH and influence of competing anions. Fluoride sorption kinetics was well fitted by pseudo-second-order model. The maximum sorption capacity of nano-alumina for fluoride removal was found to be 14.0 mg g(-1) at 25°C. Maximum fluoride removal occurred at pH 6.15. The fluoride sorption has been well explained using Langmuir isotherm model. Fluoride sorption was mainly influenced by the presence of PO(4)(3-), SO(4)(2-) and CO(3)(2-) ions.

Adsorption equilibrium and kinetics of fluoride on sol-gel-derived activated alumina adsorbents.

Adsorption equilibrium and kinetics of fluoride on a sol-gel-derived activated alumina and its modifications with calcium oxide or manganese oxide were studied to explore the feasibility of applying these adsorbents for fluoride removal from drinking water. The activated alumina adsorbents were characterized with SEM/EDS and N(2)-adsorption for their chemical and pore textural properties. The adsorption isotherms were correlated with the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption equations. The fluoride adsorption isotherms on the sol-gel-derived activated alumina followed the Freundlich model while the fluoride adsorption isotherms on the calcium oxide- or manganese oxide-modified activated alumina adsorbents followed the Langmuir model. The calcium oxide-modified alumina adsorbent showed the highest fluoride adsorption capacities of 0.99 and 96.23mg/g at fluoride concentrations of 0.99 and 432mg/L, respectively. A pseudo-second-order model and an intraparticle kinetic model fitted well the adsorption kinetic data. It was found that both external and intraparticle diffusions contribute to the rate of removal of fluoride from the activated alumina-based adsorbents produced in our laboratory. The adsorption kinetic models evaluated in this work fitted well the adsorption uptake of fluoride from a Mexican groundwater on both calcium oxide- and manganese oxide-modified alumina adsorbents.

Removal of fluoride by hydrous manganese oxide-coated alumina: performance and mechanism.

A novel hydrous-manganese-oxide-coated alumina (HMOCA) material was prepared through a redox process. The adsorbent was characterized by SEM, BET surface area measurement, XRD, pH(PZC) measurement, FTIR spectroscopy, and XPS. The manganese oxides were amorphous and manganese existed mainly in the +IV oxidation state. Batch and column experiments were carried out to investigate the adsorption potential of the adsorbent. Fluoride adsorption onto HMOCA followed the pseudo-second-order equation well with a correlation coefficient greater than 0.99. Both external and intraparticle diffusion contributed to the rate of transfer and removal. The adsorption of fluoride was thought to take place mainly by ion-exchange. Optimum removal of fluoride occurred in a pH range of 4.0-6.0. The maximum adsorption capacity calculated from the Langmuir model was 7.09 mg/g. The presence of HCO(3)(-), SO(4)(2-) and PO(4)(3-) had negative effects on the adsorption of fluoride. The adsorbed fluoride can be released by alkali solution. Column studies were performed and 669 bed volumes were treated with the effluent fluoride under 1.0mg/L at an influent F(-) concentration of 5.0mg/L and flow rate of 2.39 m(3)/(m(2)h) (empty bed contact time=7.5 min).