Case Study of the Day: ‘Waste-to-energy’ Approach to Remove Fluoride from Groundwater

Context: A group of researchers from Nalanda University Bihar, have investigated the potential of renewable biochar produced from rice husk biomass to absorb fluoride pollutants from groundwater.

About the ‘Waste-to-Energy’ Approach

• Groundwater pollution:
  • Fluoride, one of the pollutants in groundwater, is primarily caused by geological processes, whose prolonged consumption in drinking water can cause dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, kidney diseases and arthritis.
  • In the state of Bihar, groundwater in 31 out of 38 districts have high concentrations of arsenic, fluoride and iron, constituting a serious health risk.
• The role of rice husk-modified biochar in treating fluoride-contaminated surface and groundwater:
  • Surface and groundwater samples collected from Rajgir reported removal efficiencies.
  • Comparative analysis for fluoride-contaminated water using modified biochar showed that fluoride removal was achieved under the WHO and BIS permissible limits.
• Further applications of the new innovation:
  • Biochar-mediated sand columns can be used for defluorination, for water from hand pumps and tube wells.
  • For in-situ applications in treating surface and groundwater at high pH (alkaline conditions), co-occurring ions and under varying salt strengths at a commercial scale.
  • Column fixed-bed saturated experiments can be applied to sand-based filtration units in wastewater treatment plants, riverbank treatment and soil amendment.

 Conclusion

• In a similar manner, the government must promote cheaper, more accessible household-level filtration techniques so that households have a remedy for serious health problems.
• Such sustainable solutions are also needed to prevent further social marginalization from Environmental Impacts.

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