Fluoride enrichment in an alluvial aquifer with its subsequent effect on human health in Birbhum district, West Bengal, India

- High F− occurrences in zeolitic-rich aquifer sediments.
- Ion-exchange mechanism is the major hydrogeochemical process.
- Langmuir and Temkin isotherm are the best fitted isotherm.
- Women of >30 years of age have more osteoporosis.

This research work primarily deals with the geochemistry and genesis of fluoride (F−) in an alluvial aquifer with an emphasis on prevalence of dental and skeletal fluorosis among the endemic population. Hydrogeochemical outcomes reveal that chemical weathering and ion-exchange phenomena are the two dominant processes that make study area groundwater into NaHCO3 water type. Presence of intercalated zeolite rich sediments (FTotal 412-446 mg/kg) having higher ion-exchange capacity (120-125 meq/100 g) within the aquifer is the source and mobilizing factors of F− in groundwater respectively. Laboratory experiment further justifies higher desorption potential of aquifer sediments at the groundwater pH of 6.5-7.5. Health survey reveals that out of 235 studied population 60% suffer from dental fluorosis while females >30 years of age became exposed early to osteoporosis disease.

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