3. INTRODUCTION
☛ Groundwater is the major source for various purposes in most parts of the world.
☛ Presence of low or high concentration of certain ions is a major issue as they make
the groundwater unsuitable for various purposes.
☛ Fluoride is one such ion that causes health problems in people living in more than 25
nations around the world.
☛ Fluoride concentration of atleast 0.6 mg/l is required for human consumption as it
will help to have stronger teeth and bones.
☛ Fluoride is the compound form of fluorine. Fluorine is a highly toxic and corrosive
gas, light yellow–green in colour and with a pungent smell.
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4. 4
☛ Groundwaterisa potentialsource of drinkingwaterfor consumption of humanbeings
all overthe globe.
☛ However,extensive pollution of groundwatercauses majordamageto its quality.
☛ Contaminationof fluoride(F− ) ingroundwaterandaquifersis a seriousconcern
throughout the world including India.
☛Odisha,in easternIndia,witharound40 million inhabitants,also suffersfrom
groundwaterfluoride (F−)contaminationthat affectsseveraldiscontinuouspatches
more conspicuously in central andwestern partsof the state.
☛Consumption of waterwithfluorideconcentrationabove 1.5 mg/l results inacute to
chronicdental fluorosis wherethe tooth become coloured fromyellow to brown.
5. PROPERTIES OF FLUORIDE:
☛ Fluoride belongs to halogen family represented as ‘F’ with atomic weight 18.998 and
atomic number 9.
☛ Fluoride does not exhibit any colour, tasteor smell when dissolved in water. Hence,
it is not easy to determine it through physical examination.
☛ Fluoride is one of the important micronutrient in humans which is required for
strong teeth and bones. In humans, about 95% of the totalbody fluoride is found in
bones and teeth.WHO (World Health Organisation) has prescribed the range of
fluoride from 0.6 to 1.5 mg/l in drinking water as suitable for human consumption.
☛ BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) (2012) has set an acceptable limit of fluoride in
drinking water to be 1.0 mg/l and permissible limit of 1.5 mg/l .
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6. FLUORIDE IN GROUNDWATER :
☛ Groundwaterisconsideredasthe major sourceof drinkingwaterin most places on
earth.
☛ Groundwaterwithfluorideconcentrationabove the permissiblelimit set by WHO i.e 1.5
mg/l havebeen recordedinseveral partsof the world.
☛ WHO estimatedthatmore than260 million people livingall overthe worldconsume
waterwithfluoride concentrationabove 1 mg/l (WHO,2012).
☛ Theproblem of highfluoridein groundwaterhas been reported by severalresearchers
in India,China,Japan,Sri Lanka,Iran,Pakistan,Turkey,Southern Mexico, Korea,Italy,
Brazil,Canada.
☛ Most of the people affectedby high fluorideconcentrationingroundwaterlive in the
tropicalcountrieswhere the per capitaconsumption of wateris morebecause of the
prevailingclimate.
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7. CAUSES FOR FLUORIDE IN GROUNDWATER:
Aquifer material: Most of the fluoridein groundwaterisnaturally present dueto
weatheringof rocksrichin fluoride.
Waterwith highconcentrationof fluorideismostly found insedimentsof marineorigin
andatthe foot of mountainous areas.
Volcanic ash: Volcanicrocksareoften enriched in fluoride.Hydrogenfluorine is one of
the most soluble gasesinmagmasandcomes out partially duringeruptiveactivity.
Volcanicashis readilysoluble andthus the riskof fluoridecontaminationin
groundwateris veryhigh.
Fly ash: Likevolcanicash, fly ashfrom the combustion of fossil fuels also accountfor
highfluoride.
More than 100to 150 million tons of fly ash isproducedworldwideannually dueto the
combustion of coal especially from power plants.
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8. Fertilisers:Phosphatecontainingfertilisersaddup to the fluoride content in soil and
groundwater
It isevidentthatsuperphosphate (2750mg of F/kg),potash (10 mg of F /kg)andNPK
(NitrogenPhosphorous Potassium)(1675 mg of F /kg)whicharephosphatic
fertiliserscontainremarkableamount of fluoride.
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9. HEALTH IMPLICATIONS :
☛ Intakeof fluoridehigher than the optimum level isthe mainreasonfor dental and
skeletal fluorosis.
☛ Dependingupon the dosageandthe periodof exposure fluorosis may be acuteto
chronic. Around 200million people, fromamong 25nationsall overthe worldare
underthe dreadfulfateof fluorosisof which IndiaandChina,the two most populous
countriesof the world,arethe worstaffected.
☛ In India62 million people including6 million children areestimatedto have serious
health problems dueto consumption of fluoridecontaminatedwater.
☛ Dental andskeletal fluorosis was predominantinChina dueto the indoorburning of
coal to makebricktea orfor heatingpurposes.
.
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10. 10
Dental fluorosis:
Tooth enamel is principallymade up of hydroxyapatite (87%) which is crystallinecalcium
phosphate.
Fluorosis isa cosmetic condition that affectsthe teeth. It’s causedby overexposure to fluoride
during the first eight years of life. Thisis the time when most permanent teeth are being formed.
Afterthe teethcome in, the teethof those affectedby fluorosis may appear mildlydiscolored.
Dentalfluorosis in the initialstages resultsin the tooth becoming coloured from yellow to brown
to black.
Skeletal fluorosis:
Exposure to very high fluoride over a prolonged period of time results in acute to chronic
skeletal fluorosis.
It was stated that crippling skeletal fluorosis might occur in people who have ingested 10 to
20 mg of fluoride per day for over 10 to 20 years.
The vertebrae in the spine fuse together and the patient is left crippled which is the final
stage.
Skeletal fluorosis is usually not recognized until the disease reaches an advanced stage.
11. Other effects:
Other health disordersthatoccur due to consumption of high fluoridein drinkingwater
to be muscle fibredegeneration,low haemoglobin levels, deformitiesin RBCs,
excessive thirst,headache,skinrashes,nervousness, neurologicalmanifestations,
depression,gastrointestinalproblems, urinarytractmalfunctioning,nausea,
abdominalpain, tinglingsensationin fingersandtoes, reducedimmunity, repeated
abortionsorstill births, male sterility etc.
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Source:
12. STATUS OF FLUORIDE CONCENTRATION
IN GROUNDWATER OF ODISHA:
☛ Theworkinvestigatesthe majorsolute chemistry of groundwaterandfluoride
enrichment (F−)inthe shallow phreaticaquiferof Odisha.
☛ Odisha,in easternIndia,witharound40 million inhabitants,also suffersfrom
groundwaterfluoride (F−)contaminationthat affectsseveraldiscontinuouspatches
more conspicuously in central andwestern partsof the state.
☛ The fluorideproblem hasassumed seriousproportionsin severalareasof Odisha.
Drinkingwaterin manyvillagesof Angul, Khurda,Puri, Nayagarh,Boudh,Kandhamal,
Bolangir,Bargarhand Nuapadadistrictsiscontaminatedwithexcessivequantitiesof
fluoride.The situationis particularlyalarmingin Balsingh-Singhpurin Khurdadistrict,
Karlakotein Nuapadadistrict,Gohiriapadarin Kalahandidistrictand Krushakpalli in
Bargarhdistrict.
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18. ANGUL DISTRICT:
Anthropogenic Fluoride in Angul:-
☛ Surface and ground water in Anguldistrictin Orissa have been found to be contaminated by
fluoride. In the absenceof organized watersupply, people depend on ponds, tube wells and dug
wellsto meet their water needs.
☛ The untreated waste water contaminated with fluoride dischargedfrom industrialunits are
either allowed to accumulatein the lagoon or dischargedto the river without adequate
treatment. As a result, ground water gets contaminated by percolation through the soil.
☛ Accordingto a study done by CPCB, Kolkata, 57% of tube wellsand67% of dug wellsand About 10%
of tube wellsand dug wells were found to have fluoride concentration of more than 1 mg/l.
☛ It was also observed that the level of fluoride in pond water varied from 0.49 to 3.70 mg/l. A large
number of villagersreported fluoride induced symptoms like pain in the lower leg. While Angulis
among the worst affected,there are other districtswhere the problem has assumed serious
proportions 18
19. KALAHANDI DISTRICT:
Fluorosis has taken its toll on the people of at least10 out of 13 blocks in Kalahandidistrict.
Dozens of people with crippledbones and damaged joints, many bread-winnersbedridden,
people walkingin pain and children havingstainedor broken teeth are a common sightin several
villagesof the district.
The debilitatingdiseasehas severely affectedthe villagersof Golamunda, Bhawanipatna,Narla
and Karlamunda where fluoride content is found to be more than the permissiblelimitof 1.5 mg/l
in the water sources, particularlytube-wells.
Regulartube-wellwater sample testsin Rural Water Supplyand Sanitation(RWSS)laboratory
here revealthat ground water in more areas is gettingcontaminated by fluoride.
The areas affectedby fluoride contamination are Brundabahal and Baijalpurvillagesunder
Brundabahal GP, Chapria, Tingipadar,Chapria, Turechada, Darlipada,Udeshrungvillages.
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20. CONCLUSION:
The challengesin fighting the fluoride menace can be met onlythrough a wellplannedstrategycarried out
diligentlyby the governmentand otherstakeholdersin close coordinationwith each other. Thelist of
measures recommendedis by no means exhaustive or complete.But it can certainlybe a good starting
point, which can be expandedfurther by others. Here they are:
Creating publicawareness
Regularmonitoring of water quality
Sharingof water quality information with the public
Providing alternativesources of safe drinking water
Networking between health& publicengineeringprofessionals
Sustainableoperation & maintenance of drinking water sources
Providing cheap defluoridation technology to people
Water harvesting as alternativewater source
Changing dietary habits
Providing cheap defluoridation technology to people
Regularmeetings of Fluoride Task Force
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21. REFERENCES:
Acharya, B., Jyotish, N., Mohapatra, P., 2018. Fluoride level in drinking water in Angul.
Das S.B.C. Mehta, Das P.K., Srivastava S.K., Samanta S.K., Source of High fluoride in Ground
water around Odisha.
Susheela, A.K. (1987) Fluorosis in India, the magnitude and severity of the problem. Sci. Dev.
Env.,
Odisha Census (2001) District Statistics Hand Book, Balasore (2007). Directorate of Economics and
Statistics, Govt. of Orissa, Bhubaneswar, India.
WHO Water, sanitation and hygiene. World Health Organization.
Bureau of Indian Standards Indian Standards drinking water specification IS.
Dr. Manoj K. Mahapatra RCDC Centre for Water for Life Bhubaneswar.
Sinha A. K. (2003)-fluoride concentration in ground water-focus on arid to semiarid regions of
Rajasthan, India Pwl. Of working on ground water contamination
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