Journal of Geological Society of India (Online archive from Vol 1 to Vol 78)

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Hydrochemical Status of Groundwater in District Ajmer (NW India) with Reference to Fluoride Distribution


Affiliations
1 Central Ground Water Board, KR, Kedaram Complex, Kesavadasapuram, Trivandrum - 4, India
2 Central Ground Water Board, WR, Jaipur - 302 004, India
3 Department of Geology, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur - 302 004, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


High fluoride in groundwater has been reported from many parts of India. However, a systematic study is required to understand the behaviour of fluoride in natural water in terms of local hydrogeological setting, climatic conditions and agricultural practices. Present study is an attempt to assess hydrogeochemistry of groundwater in Ajmer district in Rajasthan to understand the fluoride abundance in groundwater and to deduce the chemical parameters responsible for the dissolution activity of fluoride. Ajmer district falls in the semi-arid tract of central Rajasthan and is geologically occupied by Precambrian rocks (granites, pegmatites, gneisses, schists etc) where groundwater occurs under unconfined condition. A total of 153 well-water samples, representing an area of 8481 km2(further subdivided into eight blocks), were collected and chemically analyzed. The results of chemical analyses (pre-monsoon 2004) show fluoride abundance in the range of 0.12 to 16.9 mg/l with 66% of the samples in excess of permissible limit of 1.5 mg/l.

Presence of fluoride bearing minerals in the host rock, the chemical properties like decomposition, dissociation and dissolution and their interaction with water is considered to be the main cause for fluoride in groundwater. Chemical weathering under arid to semi-arid conditions with relatively high alkalinity favours high concentration of fluoride in groundwater. Dental and skeletal fluorosis are prevalent in the study area which can be related to the usage of high fluoride groundwater for drinking. The suggested remedial measures to reduce fluoride pollution in groundwater include dilution by blending, artificial recharge, efficient irrigation practices and well construction.


Keywords

Groundwater, Fluoride, Dissolution, Alkalinity, Fluorosis, Ajmer District, Rajasthan.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • APHA (1995) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 19th edn, American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C.

  • BIS (1991) Drinking water specifications: (First revision), IS: 10500: 1991.

  • BROWN, D.W. and ROBERSON, C.E. (1977) Solubility of natural fluorite at at 25°C, USGS Jour. Res., v.5(4), pp.506-517.

  • BULUSU, K.R. and NAWLAKHE, W.G. (1990) Defluoridation of water with activated alumina, batch operations. Indian Jour. Environ.Health, v.32, pp.197-218.

  • CHOUBISA, S.L. (2001) Endemic fluorosis in southern Rajasthan, Fluoride, v.34, pp.61-70.

  • DATTA, P.S., TYAGI, S.K., MOOKERJEE, P. BHATTACHARYA, S.K., GUPTA, N. and BHATNAGAR, P.D. (1999) Groundwater NO3 and F contamination process in Pushkar valley, Rajasthan as reflected from 18O isotopic signature and 3H recharge studies.Environ. Monitor. Assess, v.56, pp.209-219.

  • DESHKAR, S.M., DESHMUKH, A.N. and VALI, S.A. (1999) Safe limit of fluoride content in drinking water in different climatic zones of India. Indian Jour. Envir. Health, v.2, pp.17-20.

  • FREEZE, R.A. and CHERRY, J.A. (1979) Groundwater. Prentice-Hall Inc, New Jersey, 603p.

  • GACIRI, S.J. and DAVIES, (1993) The occurrence and geochemistry of fluoride in some natural water of Kenya. Jour. Hydrol., v.143, pp.395-412.

  • GARG, V.K. (2000) Bioreclamation of sodic waste land - a case study, Land Degrad. Develop, v.11, pp.487-498.

  • GUPTA, R.K. SINGH, N.T. and SETHI, M. (1994) Ground water quality for irrigation in India. Tech. Bull, No.19, Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, India, 13p.

  • GUPTA, S.C., RATHORE, G.S. and DOSHI, C.S. (1993) Fluoride distribution in groundwaters of southeastern Rajasthan, Indian Jour. Environ. Health, v.35, pp.97-109.

  • HANDA, B.K. (1975) Geochemistry and genesis of fluoride containing groundwater in India, Groundwater, v.13, pp.275-281.

  • JACKS, G., BHATTACHARYA, P., CHAUDHARY, V. and SINGH, K.P. (2005) Controls on the genesis of some high-fluoride groundwaters in India. App. Geochem, v.20, pp.221-228.

  • JACKS G., SHARMA, V.P. and SHARMA, G.K. (1980) Hydrochemical Studies, SIDA-assisted groundwater project in Kerala - A Report, pp.1-5.

  • JAGLAN, M.S. (1996) Irrigation development and its environmental consequences in arid regions in India. Environ. Management, v.20, pp. 323-336.

  • KULLENBERG, B. and SEN, G.R. (1973) Flouride in Baltic. Geochim.Cosmochim. Acta, v.37, pp.1327-1337.

  • KUNDU, N., PANIGRAHI, M.K., TRIPATHY, S., MUNSHI, S., POWELL, M.A. and HART, B.R. (2001) Geochemical appraisal of fluoride contamination of groundwater in the Nayagarh district of Orissa. Indian Jour. Environ. Geol., v.41, pp.451-460.

  • LAHERMO, P., SANDSTROM, H. and MALISA, E. (1991) The occurrence and geochemistry of fluorides in natural waters in Finland and East Africa with reference to their geomedical implications.Jour. Geochem. Expl., v.41, pp.65-79.

  • MADHAVAN, N. and SUBRAMANIAN, V. (2002) Fluoride in fractionated soil samples of Ajmer district, Rajasthan. Jour. Environ.Monitoring, v.4, pp.821-822.

  • MADHAVAN, N. and SUBRAMANIAN, V. (2003) The fluoride problem in Ajmer district, Rajasthan. In: A.L. Ramanathan and R.Ramesh (Eds.), Recent Trends in Hydrogeochemistry (Case Studies from Surface and Subsurface Waters of Selected Countries), Capital Publishing Co., New Delhi, 296p.

  • MAITHANI P.B., GURJAR, R., BANERJEE, R., BALAJI, B.K., RAMACHANDRAN, S. and SINGH, R. (1998). Anomalous fluoride in groundwater from western part of Sirohi district, Rajasthan and its crippling effects on human health. Curr. Sci., v.74, pp.773-777.

  • MATHUR, G.M., TAMBOLI, B.I., MATHUR, R.N. ROY, A.K., MATHUR, G.C. and GOYAL, O.P. (1976) Preliminary epidemiological investigation of fluorosis in Surajpura and Pratappura villages in Ajmer district. Indian Jour. Prev. Soc.Med., pp.90-94.

  • MURALIDHARAN, D., NAIR, A.P. and SATHYANARAYANA, U. (2002) Fluoride in shallow aquifers in Rajgarh Tehsil of Churu District, Rajasthan - an arid environment, Curr. Sci., v.83, pp.699-702.

  • PEREL'MAN, A.I. (1977) Geochemistry of Elements in Suprgene Zone, Keter Publ. House, Jerusalem Ltd., 266p.

  • PEREZ, E.S. and SANZ, J. (1999). Fluoride concentration in drinking water in the province of Soria, Central Spain. Environ.Geochem. Health, v.21, pp.133-140.

  • PERIAKALI, P., SUBRAMANIAM, S., ESWARAMOORTHI, S., ARUL, B., RAJESHWARA RAO, N. and SRIDHAR, S.G.D. (2001). Distribution of fluoride in the groundwater of Salem and Namakkal districts, Tamilnadu. Jour. Appl. Geochem., v.3(2), pp.120-132.

  • RAMASESHA, C.S., KUMAR, E.S., SURESH, S. and KUMAR, A.R. (2002) Occurrence of nitrate and fluoride in groundwater and their impacts in and around Dindigul, Tamilnadu, India. In: M. Thangarajan, V.S. Singh and S.N. Rai (Eds.), International Conference on Sustainable Development and Management of Groundwater Resources in Semiarid region with special reference to Hard rocks (IGC - 2002), pp.31-39.

  • RAMESHAM, V. and RAJAGOPALAN, K.J. (1985) Fluoride ingestion into the natural water of hard rock areas, Peninsular India.Jour. Geol. Soc. India, v.26, pp.125-132.

  • SAXENA, V.K. and AHMED, S. (2003) Inferring the chemical parameters for the dissolution of fluoride in groundwater.Environ. Geol, v.43, pp. 731-736.

  • SHARMA, S.K. (2003) High fluoride in groundwater cripples life in parts of India, Diffuse Pollution Conference, Dublin, pp.751-52.

  • TEOTIA, S.P.S. and TEOTIA, M. (1988). Endemic skeletal fluorosis: clinical and radiological variants. Fluoride, v.21, pp.39-44.

  • WENZEL, W.W. and BLUM, W.E.H. (1992) Fluoride speciation and mobility in fluoride contaminated soils and minerals. Soil Sci., v.153, pp.357-364.

  • WHO (1984) Guidelines for drinking water quality, Values 3; Drinking water quality control in small community supplies. WHO, Geneva, 212p.


Abstract Views: 175

PDF Views: 0




  • Hydrochemical Status of Groundwater in District Ajmer (NW India) with Reference to Fluoride Distribution

Abstract Views: 175  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

C. Vikas
Central Ground Water Board, KR, Kedaram Complex, Kesavadasapuram, Trivandrum - 4, India
R. K. Kushwaha
Central Ground Water Board, WR, Jaipur - 302 004, India
M. K. Pandit
Department of Geology, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur - 302 004, India

Abstract


High fluoride in groundwater has been reported from many parts of India. However, a systematic study is required to understand the behaviour of fluoride in natural water in terms of local hydrogeological setting, climatic conditions and agricultural practices. Present study is an attempt to assess hydrogeochemistry of groundwater in Ajmer district in Rajasthan to understand the fluoride abundance in groundwater and to deduce the chemical parameters responsible for the dissolution activity of fluoride. Ajmer district falls in the semi-arid tract of central Rajasthan and is geologically occupied by Precambrian rocks (granites, pegmatites, gneisses, schists etc) where groundwater occurs under unconfined condition. A total of 153 well-water samples, representing an area of 8481 km2(further subdivided into eight blocks), were collected and chemically analyzed. The results of chemical analyses (pre-monsoon 2004) show fluoride abundance in the range of 0.12 to 16.9 mg/l with 66% of the samples in excess of permissible limit of 1.5 mg/l.

Presence of fluoride bearing minerals in the host rock, the chemical properties like decomposition, dissociation and dissolution and their interaction with water is considered to be the main cause for fluoride in groundwater. Chemical weathering under arid to semi-arid conditions with relatively high alkalinity favours high concentration of fluoride in groundwater. Dental and skeletal fluorosis are prevalent in the study area which can be related to the usage of high fluoride groundwater for drinking. The suggested remedial measures to reduce fluoride pollution in groundwater include dilution by blending, artificial recharge, efficient irrigation practices and well construction.


Keywords


Groundwater, Fluoride, Dissolution, Alkalinity, Fluorosis, Ajmer District, Rajasthan.

References