Facile removal of Fluoride Ions from water using Triethylamine Modified Polyethylene Adsorbent Mbugua Gerald1, Mwangi Isaac1, Wanjau Ruth1, Ollengo Moses Abednego2, Nthiga Esther Wanja2, Ngila Jane Catherine3 1Department of Chemistry, Kenyatta University, P.O. Box 43844, Nairobi, Kenya 2Department of Chemistry, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Private bag, Nyeri, Kenya 3Department of Chemistry, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein Campus, Doornfontein, South Africa Online published on 7 April, 2020. Abstract Highly fluoridated water is hazardous to human and animal health and effects are not limited to dental and skeletal fluorosis, diarrhea and impaired brain development. Traditional water treatment methods have limitations such as high production cost, ineffectiveness and are not reusable. In this work, the use of waste polyethylene materials derived from municipal solid waste as a green water treatment technique that affords low price, value addition and ecological friendly technology has been presented. The polyethylene wastes were dispersed in vegetable oil and modified using triethylamine. Modification was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of pH, initial fluoride concentration, contact time and adsorbent dose were investigated and optimized. adsorption was found to prescribe to Langmuir adsorption with an adsorption capacity of 10. 30 mgg-1. The removal process was found to be optimal at pH 6.0. This study showed that triethylamine modified polyethylene adsorbent has a potential application for removal of fluoride from contaminated waters. Top Keywords Complexation capacity, triethylamine, vegetable oil, kinetic isotherm. Top |