BENGALURU: A new study has highlighted alarming levels of groundwater contamination in Chikkaballapur Taluk, revealing excessive fluoride and nitrate concentrations that pose significant health risks, especially to children. The findings underscore a critical public health issue in both urban and rural areas of the taluk.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) sets limits for nitrate and fluoride concentrations in drinking water at 45 mg/L and 1.5 mg/L, respectively. In Chikkaballapur Urban, 2.43% of water samples exceeded the fluoride limit. The situation was notably worse in Chikkaballapur Rural, where fluoride levels ranged from 0.03 to 2.43 mg/L, with 15.17% of samples surpassing the safe limit.
The study, conducted during the post-monsoon period of 2021 by researchers from the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), Bengaluru, along with collaborators from Sri Sri Sri Shivakumara Mahaswamy College of Engineering and Government Engineering Colleges in Bidar and Chamarajanagar, reported nitrate concentrations of 24.8 mg/L in urban areas, with values ranging from 8 to 41 mg/L. Rural Chikkaballapur showed a mean nitrate concentration of 27.35 mg/L, with levels varying from 0.8 mg/L to a concerning 252 mg/L.
The Total Hazard Index (THI) values for men and women in rural areas ranged from 0.157 to 6.506 and 0.185 to 7.689, respectively, while children had THI values between 0.212 and 8.796. The study noted that a THI value of 1 is considered the permissible threshold for managing non-carcinogenic risk.
Kiran D A, Associate-Practice at IIHS and corresponding author of the study, warned that high fluoride levels could lead to calcium deficiency and skeletal fluorosis, weakening bones, while nitrate contamination can cause serious health issues such as blue baby syndrome and increase stomach cancer risk.
Sources of nitrate contamination include leaching from agricultural fertilizers, septic tank leaks, and organic matter discharge. Fluoride contamination often results from natural processes and human activities like coal burning. Senior hydrologist Shashank Palur from WELL Labs emphasized the need for community-level demineralization through Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants, though he acknowledged the challenges related to cost and water wastage.
Anjaneya Reddy of Shashwatha Neeravari Horata Samiti attributed the problem to administrative neglect and a lack of scientific understanding in implementing RO plants in the district.
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