Fluoride contaminated groundwater and its implication on human health in and around village Chukru, Medininagar block, Palamu district, Jharkhand, India

Vijay Pandey^a & P.K. Verma^b*
^aDept. of Geology, S.S.J.S.N. College Garwha – 822114, Jharkhand
^bDept. of Geology, Ranchi College, Ranchi at present N.P. Univesity, Medninagar, Palamu, Jharkhand
Received 11th July, 2010; Revised 2nd September, 2010

Abstract : Fluoride concentration over and above the permissible limits (1.5mg/L) in ground water leads to human health hazards, such as dental, skeletal and nonskeletal flourosis, affecting millions of people in many parts of India. Investigations in the present study indicate that severe health disorders have been indentified in and around Chukru village, Medininagar, Palamu district, Jharkhand, due to excess intake of fluoride through drinking water. The lithological units of the study area mainly consists of granitic and gneissic complex rocks of the Chhotanagpur plateau. In order to understand the source and concentration of fluouride 24 ground water samples mostly from granitic, gneissic and amphibolites, regions were collected for fluoride in ground water of the study area varies from 1.00 to 6.10 gm/L, 1.25 to 12.85 mg/L, during December  2009, 2010 respectively. It is observed that the fluoride concnetration is comparatively low in post monsoon than in pre-monsoon. Experimental results indicated that an alkaline medium, high, bicarbonate, Sodium and low Calcium are favorable for fluoride dissolution. The source of fluoride in ground water of the study area is mainly from Geological occurrence (i.e., fluoride-bearing minerals, viz apatite and biotite mica) but other fluoride  bearing minerals like fluorite and hornblende were characteristically present.
The case study indicates that the sources from whichthe fluoride is leaching out to the ground water and causing high fluoride is leaching out to the ground water and causing high fluoride concentration of fluoride in groundwater.
The worst fluoride-affected villages are Medininagar. Redma Chinki, Jorkat, Sua, Kauria, Dubiakhar, Bhusaria, Polpol, Pokharaha, and Bakhari. Most people in these villages suffers from dental, skeletal and nonskeletal fluorosis such as mottling of teeth. Deformation of ligaments, bending of spinal column and ageing problem. An urgent need is to educate the pople on the causes of flurosis, encouraging rainwater harvesting and providing fluoride-free drinking water in the present study area.

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