A review on fluoride contamination in groundwater and human health implications and its remediation: A sustainable approaches

Pankaj Kumar; Manoj Kumar; Abdulwasa Bakr Barnawi; Parul Maurya; Snigdha Singh; Deepankshi Shah; Virendra Kumar Yadav; Anand Kumar; Ramesh Kumar; Krishna Kumar Yadav; Amel Gacem; Akil Ahmad; Ashish Patel; Maha Awjan Alreshidi; Vipin Singh; Zaher Mundher Yaseen; Marina M S Cabral-Pinto; Vandana Vinayak; Shivraj Gangadhar Wanale

doi:10.1016/j.etap.2023.104356

A review on fluoride contamination in groundwater and human health implications and its remediation: A sustainable approaches

Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2024 Mar:106:104356. doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2023.104356. Epub 2023 Dec 28.

Authors

Pankaj Kumar¹, Manoj Kumar², Abdulwasa Bakr Barnawi³, Parul Maurya⁴, Snigdha Singh⁵, Deepankshi Shah⁵, Virendra Kumar Yadav⁶, Anand Kumar⁷, Ramesh Kumar⁸, Krishna Kumar Yadav⁹, Amel Gacem¹⁰, Akil Ahmad¹¹, Ashish Patel⁶, Maha Awjan Alreshidi¹², Vipin Singh¹³, Zaher Mundher Yaseen¹⁴, Marina M S Cabral-Pinto¹⁵, Vandana Vinayak¹⁶, Shivraj Gangadhar Wanale¹⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Science, Parul Institute of Applied Sciences, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat 391760, India. Electronic address: pankajb434@yahoo.com.
² Department of Hydro and Renewable Energy, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttarakhand 247667, India.
³ Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad 826004, Jharkhand, India.
⁵ Department of Environmental Science, Parul Institute of Applied Sciences, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat 391760, India.
⁶ Department of Life Sciences, Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Patan, Gujarat 384265, India.
⁷ School of Management Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir, Bihar 803116, India.
⁸ Department of Environmental Science, School of Earth Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, Rajasthan 305817, India.
⁹ Faculty of Science and Technology, Madhyanchal Professional University, Ratibad, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462044, India; Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences Research Group, Scientific Research Center, Al-Ayen University, Thi-Qar, Nasiriyah 64001, Iraq. Electronic address: envirokrishna@gmail.com.
¹⁰ Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University 20 Août 1955, Skikda 21000, Algeria.
¹¹ Department of Chemistry, College of Science and Humanities in Al-Kharj, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia.
¹² Department of Chemistry, University of Hail, Saudi Arabia.
¹³ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Dayalbagh, Agra 282005, India.
¹⁴ Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia.
¹⁵ Geobiotec Research Centre, Department of Geoscience, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
¹⁶ Diatom Nanoengineering and Metabolism Laboratory, School of Applied Science, Dr Harisingh Gour Central University, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh 470003, India.
¹⁷ School of Chemical Sciences, Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded, Maharashtra 431606, India.

PMID: 38158029
DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2023.104356

Abstract

Contamination of drinking water due to fluoride (F^-) is a major concern worldwide. Although fluoride is an essential trace element required for humans, it has severe human health implications if levels exceed 1.5 mg. L^-1 in groundwater. Several treatment technologies have been adopted to remove fluoride and reduce the exposure risk. The present article highlights the source, geochemistry, spatial distribution, and health implications of high fluoride in groundwater. Also, it discusses the underlying mechanisms and controlling factors of fluoride contamination. The problem of fluoride-contaminated water is more severe in India's arid and semiarid regions than in other Asian countries. Treatment technologies like adsorption, ion exchange, precipitation, electrolysis, electrocoagulation, nanofiltration, coagulation-precipitation, and bioremediation have been summarized along with case studies to look for suitable technology for fluoride exposure reduction. Although present technologies are efficient enough to remove fluoride, they have specific limitations regarding cost, labour intensity, and regeneration requirements.

Keywords: Contamination; Fluoride; Groundwater; Health implication; Spatial distribution.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Drinking Water* / analysis
Environmental Monitoring
Fluorides / analysis
Groundwater*
Humans
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Fluorides
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Drinking Water