Fluoride

Excessive Fluoride in Uttar Pradesh: 120 hamlets in Uttar Pradesh, India, are affected by excessive fluoride levels, impacting approximately 2 lakh people. Some villages recorded fluoride levels exceeding the safe limit of 1-1.5 mg/L, reaching 2 mg/L or higher.

Health Risks: High fluoride consumption can lead to skeletal fluorosis, accelerated dental decay, and other health problems, particularly affecting children.

Groundwater Contamination: Besides fluoride, India’s groundwater is also contaminated with arsenic (primarily in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh), uranium (across 12 states including Punjab), and iron (severe in Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Assam). Other contaminants like antimony, cadmium, copper, and barium pose risks.

Worst Affected States: Rajasthan has the highest fluoride contamination levels in India. Other affected states include Telangana, western Andhra Pradesh, and eastern Karnataka.

Seasonal Variation: Fluoride contamination tends to increase during the dry, summer pre-monsoon months. Arid regions in western India show higher contamination compared to humid areas.

Safe Limits: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a safe fluoride limit of 1.5 mg/L in drinking water, while the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) sets the limit at 1.0 mg/L.