Simple defluoridation procedures for Kenyan borehole water.

Abstract

Magnesium oxide and bone meal were used as chemical defluoridating agents to reduce excessive amounts of fluoride from artificial water samples which had been prepared to simulate Kenyan water samples with a fluoride concentration ranging from 1 to 9.3 ppm. The water filtrate from bone meal was clear and palatable. The filtrate from magnesium oxide was slightly slimy and cloudy, but palatable. Either of these chemical agents may be used in simple defluoridation procedures in rural and suburban areas using borehole water to reduce the excess fluoride in the water to beneficial non-toxic levels. Both magnesium oxide and bone meal are inexpensive chemicals and readily available in Kenya.