Investigation on Groundwater Quality and Treatment for Fluoride Reduction in Kaltungo, Gombe State, Nigeria | Chapter 4 | New Visions in Science and Technology Vol. 3

The residents of Kaltungo town rely on groundwater from hand dug wells and boreholes to meet their water demands, however children who grow up in the town during their teething years develop mottled teeth. The mottling of teeth is hypothesised to be induced by chemical properties in the town's drinking water sources. The physico-chemical characteristics of Kaltungo groundwater were determined over a 12-month period. Conductivity, pH, chloride, iron, copper, lead, zinc, fluoride, cadmium, nitrates, TH, total alkalinity (TA), and fluoride were investigated as physical qualities, while conductivity, pH, chloride, iron, copper, lead, zinc, fluoride, cadmium, nitrates, TH, total alkalinity (TA), and fluoride were investigated as chemical characteristics. Nine water samples were gathered monthly during the experiment, three from three manually dug wells and six from six boreholes. Except for iron and fluoride, all physical parameters were within their maximum ranges, with the exception of temperature, which had a mean of 29.7°C, which was still within ambient temperature. The majority of the chemical values were lower than the maximum levels recommended. Hand dug wells had iron concentrations ranging from 0.13 to 1.60 mg/l and boreholes had concentrations ranging from 0.07 to 2.35 mg/l, while fluoride concentrations in hand dug wells were 1.58 to 2.30 mg/l and boreholes were 1.29 to 1.90 mg/l. Iron had mean monthly levels of 0.9 mg/l, while fluoride had 1.66 mg/l, both of which are over the required iron and fluoride amounts of 0.3 mg/l and 1.5 mg/l, respectively. Treatments for flouride elimination were carried out utilising readily available and economical materials such as alum, bone charcoal, and Moringa olifera seeds. When treated with doses greater than 10g/l of raw water, fluoride concentrations in the water were lowered by 15% to 43%. To avoid tooth mottling, it is advised that Kaltungo groundwater be treated for fluoride removal before ingestion.

Author (S) Details

S. B. Onoja

Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.

M. O. Udochukwu

Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.

J. F. Malum

Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.

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