Seasonal Distribution of Fluoride level in Ground Water Hospate Taluk, Bellary District Karnataka, India and its Suitability Assessment for Drinking Purposes

Abstract

The major objective of the present study was to find out the vulnerable bore well water in terms of ?uoride contamination. A total of 50 groundwater samples were collected from major drinking water sources in Hospet Taluk Bellary District and studied with reference to the distribution and hydro- geochemistry of ?uoride. Fluoride concentration in ground water samples of Hospet taluk, Bellary district is determined by Ion Selective Electrode method, a total of twenty five samples were collected and analysed in the study area. Fluoride ion exhibits single properties compared to other physico-chemical parameters as its concentration in optimum dose in drinking water is advantageous to health and if the concentration exceeds the limit, affects the health. The lowest and highest fluoride levels observed are 0.52 in summer (pre monsoon season) to 2.19 mg/L during winter season with an average of 1.10 mg/L, 1.07 mg/L and 1.12 mg/L during monsoon, summer and winter respectively. Both the minimum and maximum observed levels have slight deviation with minimum (0.5 mg/L) and maximum permissible (1.5 mg/L) limits. The overall concentration levels of fluoride in the study area and during the study period are about 12 locations (30%), 11 locations (27.5%) and 13 (32.5%) locations falls in category III during summer, monsoon and winter season respectively. Hence there is urgent need of public awareness programmers to prevent the population from fluorosis in fluoride contaminated location in the study area.