Journal of Environmental Biology

Study of fluoride content in groundwater of Nawa Tehsil in Nagaur, Rajasthan

Author Details

Radha Gautam

(Corresponding author)

Indira Gandhi Center for Human Ecology, Environmental and Population Studies (HEEPS), University of

Rajasthan, Jaipur- 302055, India

e-mail: radha_gautam10@yahoo.in

Nagendra Bhardwaj

Department of Botany, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur- 302055, India

Yashoda Saini

Department of Botany, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur- 302055, India

Publication Data

Paper received:

06 August 2009

Revised received:

25 January 2010

Re-Revised received:

24 April 2010

Accepted:

10 May 2010

Abstract

There is a severe fluoride problem in Nawa tehsil of Nagaur district. Villagers are suffering from dental fluorosis and skeletal fluorosis. So an extensive geochemical study of 27 villages of eastern, south-eastern and southern zone of Nawa tehsil was done. Total 46 ground water samples were collected and analyzed for various physico-chemical parameters as well as fluoride content. The ground water samples collected in clean polyethylene plastic containers were analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved salts, calcium, magnesium, total hardness, chloride and alkalinity. The fluoride concentration in the three different zones ranged from 0.64 to 14.62 mg l^-1 where 13.04% samples were found within permissible limit while 86.96% had fluoride beyond permissible limit (> 1.5 mg l^-1). It was found that among the three different zones south-eastern zone was under serious fluoride contamination where fluoride concentration ranged between 1.10 to 14.62 mg l^-1. In the eastern zone fluoride concentration was recorded from 1.52 to 5.13 mg l^-1 whereas in the southern zone it was found between 0.64 to 3.63 mg l^-1.

Key words

Ground water, Fluoride, Seepage, Physico-chemical analysis, Geo-chemical study

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