ASSESSMENT OF FLUORIDE IN GROUNDWATER AND ASSOCIATED HEALTH RISKS IN SOME VILLAGES OF HARYANA, INDIA

Abstract

Ground water is the vital source of drinking in rural areas of India. Fluoride intake through drinking water is the major source of fluoride in human body. The intake of elevated fluoride concentration has critical adverse effect on human body. Fluoride concentration in groundwater of some villages in Hansi block of Hisar, Haryana varied from 0.5 to 5.5 mg/L and the mean concentration was 2.4 mg/L, which is above the national and international prescribed standards. As a biomarker of Fexposure, the urinary F-

among school children varied from 0.6 to 8.9mg/L in girls and from 0.13 to 12 mg/L in boys. Dental fluorosis survey showed that 24% girls and 30% boys have moderate to severe dental fluorosis. Also the health risk assessment was calculated for the population and its range varied from 0.46 to 5.19, 0.33 to 3.67, and 0.26 to 2.94 for children; adolescent; and adults respectively. Assessment of non- carcinogenic risk in study area showed that 73% children; 63% adolescent; and 63% adults had surpassed the safe limit for health quotient i.e. 1.0 as prescribed by the USEPA. Also the observation indicates that younger population is more prone to non- carcinogenic health risk due to fluoride exposure. The hydro geochemistry of ground water revealed mixed Ca-Mg2+

-Cltype and Ca2+ - Cltype groundwater in the study area. Rock dominance and evaporation crystallization are the dominant water quality controlling phenomenon in the study area and majority of the samples exceed the standard limits for most of the parameters prescribed by BIS and WHO. The significance of this study is to assess the fluoride concentration in ground water and correlating its concentration to human health by assessing dental fluorosis and fluoride in urine, also the associated health risk is calculated in the residents.