• Shahrukh Sheikh
• Dr. Arif khan

Groundwater is the most important source of water to meet the requirement of consumption for drinking water, irrigation. India is the largest user of groundwater in the world. It uses an estimated 230 cubic kilometers of groundwater per year - over a quarter of the global total. More than 60% of irrigated agriculture and 85% of drinking water supplies are dependent on groundwater. Fluorine is widely dispersed in nature. It is about 0.06 to 0.09 % of component on Earth’s crust and is estimated to be the 13th most abundant element on our planet. It is the most electronegative of all chemical elements, and as a result, it never exists in elemental form, but rather combines with other elements. Fluoride is distributed universally throughout soils, plants, and animals, and is assumed to be an essential element in animals, including humans. Fluoride has an important role in bone mineralization and formation of dental enamels. Fluoride, when consumed in inadequate quantities (less than 0.5 ppm), causes health problems such as dental caries, lack of formation of dental enamel, and reduced bone mineralization, especially among children (WHO 1996). In contrast, when Fluoride is consumed in excess (more than 1 ppm), health problems may result, which equally affect the young and old (WHO 1996). At higher fluoride concentrations, metabolic processes are affected in humans, and overexposed individuals may suffer from skeletal or dental fluorosis, non-skeletal manifestations, or combinations of these maladies (Susheela et al. 1993). Among the three forms of environmental media (air, soil, and water), groundwater is the major source of fluoride exposure in humans. . To sustain life, freshwater must be continuously available to humans. Throughout history, humans have relied on groundwater as a source of drinking water, and even today, more than half of the world’s population depends on sources of groundwater for survival. The levels of natural fluoride that occur in groundwater range from 0.5 to 48 ppm, or more (Susheela 2003). Common symptoms of fluoride toxicity in humans are stained teeth, paralyzing bone disease, stooped backs, crooked hands and legs, blindness, and other deformities. W.H.O has stated that fluoride should be in the range of 0.1 to 0.5ppm. The Indian Standard for fluoride contents is 1 ppm. This shows that the requirement of fluoride content changes and it depends on the geographical condition and the age of human beings. In this paper we have reviewed various techniques used for removing the fluoride content from the water. India is one among the 23 nations in the world, where fluoride contaminated groundwater is creating health problems. The state of Art Report of UNICEF confirms the fluoride problem in 177 districts of 20 states in India.

Fluoride, Groundwater analysis, fluorosis, adsorbents

"A Review Paper on Various Methods of Removal of Fluoride from Water", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 5, page no.524-527, May-2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1905679.pdf

"A Review Paper on Various Methods of Removal of Fluoride from Water", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 5, page no. pp524-527, May-2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1905679.pdf