Fluoride Contamination | 08 Apr 2025

Source: IE 

Excess Fluoride in Sonbhadra's groundwater (Uttar Pradesh), has triggered a growing public health crisis. 

• Fluoride: It is a highly reactive element that does not occur in elemental form in nature. 
  • It makes up 0.3 g/kg of the Earth’s crust and is found as fluoride (oxidation state -1) in minerals like fluorspar, cryolite, and fluorapatite. 
• Major Uses: Widely used in aluminium production, and as fluxes in steel and glass fibre industries. They are also released during the manufacture of phosphate fertilizers, bricks, tiles, and ceramics.  
  • Compounds like fluorosilicic acid, sodium hexafluorosilicate, and sodium fluoride are used in municipal water fluoridation. 
• Health Impacts: Fluoride has a dual impact, it is beneficial in small amounts (prevents dental caries), but harmful in excess (causes dental fluorosis (mottling of teeth enamel, mainly in children) and skeletal fluorosis (bone/joint issues) ). 
  • As per the Bureau of Indian Standards, the safe fluoride level in water is 1 to 1.5 mg/L (milligrams per liter), levels above this are considered hazardous to health. 
• Schemes for Fluoride Control in India: India launched the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Fluorosis (NPPCF) during the 11th Five Year Plan. Additionally, the Jal Jeevan Mission aims to ensure safe drinking water.