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WATER WISE
Excess fluoride in our daily water
S. VISHWANATH
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Take a look at what the situation is with excess fluoride in our drinking water
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Good drinking water should contain minerals necessary for our body. Fluoride, for example, is one such mineral which in small proportions is excellent especially for our teeth. The same mineral in excess starts causing harm to the body. If fluoride is in excess of 1.50 mg/litre of water consuming such water can cause dental fluorosis and if it is too much in excess the body faces the problem of skeletal fluorosis. Dental fluorosis is the first visible sign of excess fluori
de consumption and is shown as white or brown mottled teeth. Pitting of teeth may also occur.
Since most rural habitations and many urban habitations depend on deep ground water, some method is necessary to check the presence of fluoride. The 11th Plan document recently finalised by the Planning Commission puts the issue in perspective. It says that “there are about 2.17 lakh quality affected habitations in the country with more than half of the habitations affected with excess iron (1, 18,088). This is followed by fluoride (31,306), salinity (23,495), nitrate (13,958) and arsenic (5,029) in that order. There are about 25,000 habitations affected with multiple problems.” In Karnataka alone, more than 5,838 habitations report fluoride in excess of 1.50 mg/litre.
Various methods of de-fluoridation of water are available. These include household level de-fluoridation using activated alumina to community level de-fluoridation plants.
Lessons in cities
Tap water coming from surface water sources is generally free from excess fluoride. If, however, a borewell is the source of water used or if water is bought from private tankers, it is a safe practice to check a sample of the water for excess fluoride. A certified water testing laboratory will do a quality test for you with a sample of about two litres. If excess fluoride is detected it must be removed before use for drinking or cooking. www.rainwaterclub.org
www.arghyam.org
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