Fluoride Auto – Dominic Grasso, Melissa Louie, Desiree Sausele, Emily Spiek
Abstract:
The Spring 2019 Fluoride Auto subteam aimed to determine the optimal dosage of polyaluminum chloride (PACl) needed to precipitate fluoride ions out of influent water to meet the World Health Organization’s drinking water standard for fluoride concentration (1.5 mg/L). The team accomplished several fabrication tasks, including lengthening the flocculator used by the Fall 2018 subteam and constructing a new sedimentation tube. The team tested the new apparatus with PACl and red dye to visually determine that it worked properly and that aggregated particles (flocs) were exiting the tube through the floc weir. The team then aimed to run experiments with fluoride but experienced difficulty calibrating the fluoride probe. Upon acquiring a new probe in the future, the team will analyze fluoride removal efficiency using the Langmuir Adsorption Model.
