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A novel, inexpensive, easily available and eco-friendly biosorbent, Tamarindus indica activated seed coat, has been evaluated for its capability to remove fluoride from water. Batch experiments were carried out to study the effect of various parameters affecting the biosorption such as pH (2–10), biosorbent dose (0.05 g/L to 0.35 g/L), contact time (10–80 min) and initial fluoride concentration (0.001–0.006 g/L) for the biosorption of fluoride at room temperature. The maximum removal of fluoride was found at pH 6, biosorbent dose 0.3 g and contact time 60 min. Physico chemical characterisation studies revealed the suitable morphology and chemical functional groups present on the biosorbent. Isothermal data well agreed with the Langmuir isotherm adsorption model with R2 value 0.976 and KL 0.1. The biosorption interface of fluoride onto Tamarindus indica activated seed coat obeyed the pseudo-second-order rate equation with R2 0.976. The present study demonstrates the Tamarindus indica activated seed coat that can effectively remediate fluoride contaminated water.

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Fluoride is an undesirable chemical in drinking water that can have dreadful concerns on health. The objective of this study is to establish the concentration profile of fluoride in groundwater used as drinking water in 31 rural habitats in Mahabubnagar district, Telangana State, India. Drinking water samples from bore wells/hand pumps were collected from different locations in the study area and analyzed for fluoride levels using a spectrophotometer. The fluoride levels range from 0.6 to 1.8 mg/L, with an average value of 1.31 mg/L. Overall, 32% of groundwater samples found to be exceeded the prescribed limits of fluoride in the study area, as prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Besides, the optimal amounts of fluoride in drinking water have to meet in the range of 0.5 mg/L and 1.5 mg/L, as this range is the permissible limit for drinking. Fluoride is an essential micronutrient for normal mineralization of teeth and bones as well as for the formation of dental enamel in the human body. This study suggested that prolonged intake of drinking water with fluoride concentrations higher than acceptable limits can trigger dental and skeletal fluorosis in the general community of the study region. The fluoride data compared with the permissible levels recommended for drinking purposes by various regulatory agencies across the world.