Use of solar water distiller for treatment of fluoride-contaminated water: The case of Bongo district of Ghana

Bongo district in the Upper East Region of Ghana is noted for the high concentration of fluoride in its underground water bodies of which the people depend so much on to meet their drinking needs. As a result of this, majority of the people in the most endemic areas suffer from dental fluorosis, a problem that greatly affects their confidence when they move out of the district to other places. In finding a sustainable and cost effective solution to reducing the fluoride content of their underground waters before being used, a solar water distillation unit was built using local materials from Anaafobiisi. Results from test conducted on the purified water from the solar distiller showed a significant reduction in the levels of fluoride in the water. From an initial concentration of 20.6 mg/l of fluoride in the water from a local borehole, this was reduced to an average of about 0.7 mg/l which is below the WHO acceptable limit for fluoride in drinking water when the solar distillation unit was used to purify it. The solar distillation unit when installed as a decentralised system is an effective means of reducing the high fluoride contamination making the water safe for drinking.

Research highlights
► A solar distiller was designed and built to treat high fluoride contaminated water.
► Analysis of the distilled water showed a significant decrease in the fluoride contamination level.
► The amount of fluoride left in the distilled water was found to be below the recommended WHO limit.
► Distillation using solar energy is a viable option for treating fluoride contaminated water.