Activated Alumina
Fluoride loves aluminum and calcium. That is why the two primary sources of filtration are Bone Char and Activated Alumina
Granular activated alumina is used for the removal of arsenic and fluoride from drinking water. Bone Char is more expensive per cubic foot and it takes six times the volume of media to complete the same task. Per cubic foot bone char (literally chard animal bones) only filters about 1/2 a gallon per minute compared to Activated Alumina that is 3 gallons per minute.
According to Wikipedia:
Activated-Alumina
“Activated alumina is manufactured from aluminium hydroxide by dehydroxylating it in a way that produces a highly porous material; this material can have a surface area significantly over 200 square metres/g. The compound is used as a desiccant (to keep things dry by absorbing water from the air) and as a filter of fluoride, arsenic and selenium in drinking water. It is made of aluminium oxide (alumina; Al2O3), the same chemical substance as sapphire and ruby (but without the impurities that give those gems their color). It has a very high surface-area-to-weight ratio, due to the many “tunnel like” pores that it has.“
Activated Alumina is a Molecule
Aluminium is an Atom
Remember learning difference between an element (atom) and compound (molecule) during High School. If not here is a refresher. Consider Table Salt (NaCl)
Salt is safe to consume and in trace amounts even considered beneficial. But if we were asked to drink a glass of chlorine we’d say no.
But.. chlorine is one of two parts of salt! Sodium is the other.
Sodium is an atom (Na).
Chlorine is an atom (Cl).
Together make they sodium chloride (NaCl) or table salt. Sodium chloride is a molecule, bound together.
Leaching of Aluminium is not a concern for NSF approved Activated Alumina. All NSF certificated media must meet criteria to be considered safe. Concentrations of impurities can not be exceeded to pass NSF stringent requirements and to earn certification. The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) is the most respected independent product testing organization. California Proposition 65 further ensures safety with even higher standards that must be satisfied.
Our research concluded this media choice provides the best absorption and longest lifespan when compared to other approved methods of Fluoride removal.
If concerned please read Does Activated Alumina Add Aluminum to the Water It Treats? The article conclusion. “It was demonstrated that the treatment of NMW with activated alumina is suitable for the intended purpose.”