TITLE:
Occurrence of Fluoride in the Groundwater of Kaltungo Area and Environs, North Eastern Nigeria
AUTHORS:
Shehu Mukkafa, Jackson Makpane Ishaku, Ibrahim Abdulkarim Kwami, Ahmed Buba Seli, Usman Adamu Abubakar, Abdulwahab Mohammed Bello, Usman Abubakar, Musa Usman Bappa
KEYWORDS:
Anthropogenic, Correlation, Fluoride, Kaltungo
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.7 No.8,
August
23,
2019
ABSTRACT: The aim of the study is
to assess the occurrence of fluoride in the groundwater of Kaltungo area and
environs. Consumption of high fluoride waters clearly manifests in the majority
inhabitant of the area in form of dental fluorosis especially in the majority
of the populace. Thirty groundwater samples were collected from hand-dug wells and boreholes using standard method and were analyzed to
determine the fluoride level. The results revealed that the Fluoride in the
waters ranges from 0.8 to 1.94 mg/l with a mean value of 1.65 mg/l. No clear
variations in fluoride content have been observed in both the borehole samples
and those from the hand-dug wells. Ca-Mg-HCO3 and Ca-Mg-Cl
are the two major water types obtained in the area, which have a good
association with fluoride. Negative correlation is observed between fluoride
and temperature, fluoride and magnesium, fluoride and potassium and poor
correlation is observed between fluoride and chloride, fluoride and nitrate,
fluoride and phosphates which rules out the possibility of anthropogenic source
of the fluoride in the waters. Positive correlation between fluoride and iron,
indicates that the presence of fluoride in the water is as a result of
dissolution of biotite within the host rock (Basalt).