10.22376/ijpbs.2019.10.1.p1-12 Volume 6 Issue 1 2015 (January - March) Fluoride is a widespread element, which contaminates majority of the water resources in India. Fluoride, beyond its maximum permissible limit (1.5 mg/L) causes various physiological problems of which dental and skeletal fluorosis are noteworthy. This study aims to develop a sorbent, by successfully immobilizing saponified orange peel residue (SOPR) in alginate matrix and applying a 3-step modification procedure to enable F lessThan sup greaterThan - lessThan /sup greaterThan sorption from water. Batch equilibrium studies indicate that Langmuir model of isotherm and Pseudo second order rate kinetics were followed with a maximum sorption capacity of 7 mg/g. FTIR studies confirm the involvement of –OH and carbonyl groups in F lessThan sup greaterThan - lessThan /sup greaterThan uptake. The morphological changes are evident in SEM micrographs. Hence electrostatic interaction and ion exchange could be the possible mechanisms by which F lessThan sup greaterThan - lessThan /sup greaterThan ions are removed from water. Thus the developed sorbent could be used effectively for defluoridation in areas where the F lessThan sup greaterThan - lessThan /sup greaterThan concentration exceeds the recommended limit. EVANGELINE CHRISTINA AND PRAGASAM VISWANATHAN Alginate, Fluoride, SOPR, Sorption, Surface modification 577-588