NIT Rourkela Patents Low-Cost Jackfruit Peel Material to Remove Fluoride From Groundwater

Researchers at NIT Rourkela have patented a low-cost filter material made from jackfruit peel that removes excess fluoride from groundwater. The team turns discarded peel into activated carbon and modifies it with zirconium to improve fluoride capture. In lab tests, the material removed 90 to 97 percent of fluoride within 10 to 20 minutes. The approach is meant to be cheaper and more sustainable than reverse osmosis, which wastes water and strips useful minerals, or chemical-based methods like ion exchange and activated alumina. The researchers plan to build a physical prototype and test how the material performs in real-world conditions, including long-term durability and operating costs. Fluoride contamination is a public health issue in many Indian states, causing dental and skeletal fluorosis. A decentralized, low-cost treatment option could help communities that lack access to conventional water treatment plants.