Chandio Tasawar Ali, Khan Muhammad Nasiruddin, Sarwar Anila
Geological Survey of Pakistan, Headquarter Office, Quetta, Pakistan.
Environ Monit Assess. 2015 Aug;187(8):531. doi: 10.1007/s10661-015-4753-6. Epub 2015 Jul 28.
The fluoride level in drinking water is an important parameter and has to be controlled in order to prevent dental and skeletal fluorosis. The objective of this study is to assess fluoride content and other water quality parameters in the samples taken from open wells, tube wells, and karezes of Mastung, Mangochar, and Pringabad areas of Balochistan province. A total number of 96 drinking water samples out of 150 were found unfit for human consumption. Area-wise analysis show that the samples from 39 sites from Mastung, 12 from Mangochar, and 13 from Pringabad were found in the risk of dental fluorosis of mild to severe nature. However, 12 sampling sites from Mastung, 8 from Mangochar, and 2 from Pringabad were identified as the risks of mottling and skeletal fluorosis or other bone abnormalities. The highest concentration of F(-) has been observed as 14 mg L(-1) in Mastung. Correlation analysis show that fluoride solubility in drinking water is pH dependent; and the salts of Ca(2+), Na(+), K(+), Cl(-), and SO4(2-) contribute to attain the favorable pH for dissolution of fluoride compounds in drinking water. Principal component analysis shows that the geochemical composition of the rocks is only responsible for groundwater contamination. On the basis of the results, defloridation of the identified sampling sites and continuous monitoring of drinking water at regular basis is recommended at government level to avoid further fluorosis risks.
饮用水中的氟含量是一个重要参数，必须加以控制以预防牙齿和骨骼氟中毒。本研究的目的是评估从俾路支省马斯图格、曼戈查尔和普林加巴德地区的露天井、管井和坎儿井采集的样本中的氟含量及其他水质参数。150个饮用水样本中共有96个被发现不适合人类饮用。按地区分析表明，马斯图格39个地点、曼戈查尔12个地点和普林加巴德13个地点的样本存在轻度至重度牙齿氟中毒风险。然而，马斯图格12个采样点、曼戈查尔8个采样点和普林加巴德2个采样点被确定存在斑纹和骨骼氟中毒或其他骨骼异常风险。在马斯图格观测到的F(-)最高浓度为14 mg L(-1)。相关性分析表明，饮用水中氟的溶解度取决于pH值；Ca(2+)、Na(+)、K(+)、Cl(-)和SO4(2-)的盐有助于达到使氟化合物在饮用水中溶解的适宜pH值。主成分分析表明，岩石的地球化学组成是造成地下水污染的唯一原因。根据研究结果，建议政府层面针对已确定的采样点进行除氟处理，并定期持续监测饮用水，以避免进一步的氟中毒风险。
