Fluoride in groundwater of industrial town of Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh, India: probable release mechanism and potential health risk assessment

In the selected study region of Sonbhadra district, coal burning and mining activities are dominant. Previous studies reported F contamination in very few groundwater samples of this region. A detailed study is required to estimate the fluoride in groundwater of this area. Hence, a total of 128 groundwater samples were collected during post- and pre-monsoon seasons in the year 2017 to estimate the F−, its geochemistry, and health risk assessment from Renukoot and Anpara industrial clusters of Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh, India. The pH of groundwater samples varied from slightly acidic to alkaline during both seasons. Almost all the major cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and K+) and major anions (HCO3−, Cl−, SO42−, and F−) values in groundwater samples of both clusters were found within the permissible limit of World Health Organization (WHO) and Beauro of Indian standards except F− in both seasons. The scatter plots of F− with Ca2+, Na+, HCO3−, and pH are used to explain the release mechanism of fluoride in groundwater. Saturation indices (SI) calcite versus SI fluorite and SI dolomite versus SI fluorite plots of both clusters used to check the involvement of these minerals in fluoride enrichment of aquifers. F− contamination in groundwater due to coal burning in coal mining and thermal power plant dominated region is discussed globally and locally both. The non-carcinogenic health risk due to consumption of fluoride-contaminated water is estimated by using target hazard quotient (THQ). THQ values of F− showed that children are at high risk than adults in both clusters of the study area during both seasons. Pictorial representation is used to show the dental fluorosis cases in children of the study region.