Appraisal of Underground Water Quality with Special Emphasis on Fluoride Contamination and its Suitability of Drinking use in Sandur Taluk Part of Bellary District, Karnataka, India

Groundwater is the main source for drinking the rural area of the sandur taluk. Fluoride is dietary in human beings in rural as well as metropolitan zones throughout the world. The present study was conducted to determine the fluoride and other water quality parameters in the ground water of Sandur taluk of Bellary district of Karnataka, India. A total of twenty five groundwater samples were randomly collected at different depths from bore well water and hand pumps. The fluoride content in underground water is determined by ion selective electrode method. From the study it was observed that Sandur taluk of three villages are showing above the permissible limit of WHO. The results showed that fluoride concentration in the ground water of Sandur taluk ranges from 0.89-1.89 mg/l. Three villages are above the permissible limit and fourteen villages are showing medium range (1.2 – 1.4 mg/l) of fluoride content during the study period. The study reveals that most of the people are using and depending upon groundwater for domestic and irrigation purpose. Therefore, the intake of fluoride concentration is high as people using groundwater without any prior treatment. The results suggest that the groundwater should be used by the residents only after defluoridation. The study revealed that due to mining activity and assessment of groundwater samples from various parameters indicates that groundwater in three villages of the study area is contaminated with fluoride hence, unsuitable for drinking purpose (Laksmipura, Tumati and Nidagurthi). The data structures may be show that mining activity and geological structure contributing the higher concentration of fluoride content in aquifer of Sandur taluka, Bellary District.