首页|Fluoride contamination in groundwater:A global review of the status,processes,challenges,and remedial measures

Fluoride contamination in groundwater:A global review of the status,processes,challenges,and remedial measures

扫码查看
Groundwater pollution by fluoride is one of the prime concerns of the world population due to its toxi-city,which results in adverse health impacts.In this paper,we review the current scenario of the fluoride contamination of groundwater in various countries across the globe and its impact on human health.During the last decade,several newly affected regions have been reported all over the world,with more than 100 countries affected by fluoride contamination in groundwater(concentration exceeding the acceptable limit of 1.5 mg/L defined by the World Health Organization).Fluoride poisoning is mainly due to the unsupervised ingestion of products for dental and oral hygiene and over-fluoridated drinking water.It is estimated that more than 200 million people from different countries are affected by fluoride-related groundwater issues and health problems.The highest among these are from the countries in Africa(38),Asia(28),and Europe(24),followed by countries like South America(5),North America(3),and Australia(2).The source of fluoride in drinking water is primarily geogenic,together with forage,grasses and grains,tea,and anthropogenic sources.These countries affected were correlated with cli-matic zones and geological factors to gain insights into geospatial relations.Our analyses show that most of the fluoride pollution-prone zones are located in high-grade metamorphic terranes with granitoid or alkaline intrusions,geothermal hot springs,and volcanic regions with arid or semi-arid climatic condi-tions.This study also finds that children across the globe are more vulnerable than adults to fluoride con-tamination.The review finds that,although there are efficient fluoride removal techniques,including filters with next-generation nanomaterials,to date,there has not been a single technique developed that can claim to be a practically robust solution for fluoride removal from drinking water.Therefore,we sug-gest developing next-generation filters that can retain essential minerals in water and remove only harm-ful ones and selecting purification technologies according to need,climate,geology,and geographic location.The findings from our review would help policymakers take effective and sustainable measures for safe water supply in the affected areas.Within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs),particularly SDG 3(Good Health and Well-being)and SDG 6(Clean Water and Sanitation),this study emphasizes the critical role of fluoride as a key indicator.It underscores the imperative of address-ing elevated fluoride levels in drinking water,particularly in African and Asian countries,to achieve the overarching objective of universal and equitable access to safe,affordable,and uncontaminated drinking water for global society by the targeted year of 2030.

FluorideGroundwaterWater contaminationWHO standardsClimate zonesRemediationSustainable Development Goals

E.Shaji、K.V.Sarath、M.Santosh、P.K.Krishnaprasad、B.K.Arya、Manisha S.Babu

展开 >

Department of Geology,University of Kerala,Kariavattom Campus,Thiruvananthapuram,Kerala 695581,India

School of Earth Sciences and Resources,China University of Geosciences(Beijing),29Xueyuan Road,Beijing 100083,China

Department of Earth Science,University of Adelaide,Adelaide,SA 5005,Australia

Department of Geology,Central University of Kerala,Tejaswini Hills,Periye,Kasaragod,Kerala 671316,India

展开 >

2024

地学前缘(英文版)
中国地质大学(北京) 北京大学

地学前缘(英文版)

CSTPCD
影响因子:0.576
ISSN:1674-9871
年,卷(期):2024.15(2)
  • 354