Fluoride concentration in state’s groundwater reserves high: study

In some parts of India,groundwater has excessive amounts of the halide due to geological conditions. Rajasthan has the highest amount of fluoride in its groundwater,followed by the northern parts of Gujarat,Kutch and western parts of Ahmedabad district,said Dr Prabhakaran,Head of Orthopaedic department at Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad.

“We come across a lot of patients with weak bones and skeletal fluorosis. In extreme cases,the mass of their bone marrows is reduced. It is mainly because we drink a lot of water from bore-wells with high fluoride content,which makes our teeth and bones weak,” he said.

While the expenses incurred for treating tooth decay take up the highest percentage for overall healthcare costs in most industrialised countries,it is not so in India. But that doesn’t mean that it is an inexpensive treatment.

“Treatment of decayed teeth costs a patient an average of Rs 4,000 – Rs 5,000 each year. Skeletal fluorosis,on the other hand,can be very expensive. A fracture can cost between Rs 20,000 – Rs 30,000 to treat,” said Dr Bharat Gadhavi,chief executive officer of HCG Medi Surge Hospital,Ahmedabad.

He added: “We are digging deeper and deeper in the earth for water,and ironically,fluoride content is higher in groundwater extracted from deeper layers.”

Although Fluoride – a halide of the element fluorine – is used in toothpastes to prevent tooth decay,it can also cause the same disease if used in excessive amounts. Excess intake of fluoride through water can also lead to “skeletal fluorosis,” which causes pain and damage to bones and joints,and increases susceptibility to fractures.

In many countries,fluoride is added to public water supply in sufficient amounts to prevent tooth decay,while in others – like India – it is not.