Groundwater quality with special reference to fluoride and groundwater modelling for simulating the effect of managed aquifer recharge in pambar basinindia

Abstract

Groundwater is the major source for drinking in many parts of the world The groundwater is contaminated by the inherent toxicity of rocks which makes it unfit for domestic and irrigation purposes Management of groundwater resources is very crucial as the available fresh water resources are limited The quality of groundwater controls its usability for various purposes Groundwater contains many essential ions like fluoride chloride sulphate bicarbonate sodium potassium calcium and magnesium Regarding drinking purpose each ion has typical effect on quality if it exceeds the permissible limits when the concentration exceeds permissible limits Fluoride is essential for strong teeth and bones but its exceedance above permissible limit consequences in fluorosis a disturbance of dental enamel and damage of bones Several people in India and other countries are affected by fluorosis as no substitute for groundwater is present Tamil Nadu is one of the states containing fluoride rich groundwater in India No comprehensive work has been carried out to study the groundwater quality the natural processes affecting it and no suggestions has been given for insitu remediation of fluoride problem in northwest Tamil Nadu where the fluoride bearing groundwater is not uncommon Hence an assessment of groundwater quality with special reference to fluoride was carried out in Pambar river sub basin northwest Tamil Nadu India and a three dimensional groundwater flow model was developed to predict the possibility of reducing the concentration newline