ABSTRACT
Fluoride is one of the most abundant water contaminants occurring in groundwater as it poses severe problems in safe drinking water supplies. According to United Nations Educational, Scientic and Cultural Organization estimates (January 2007), >200 million people use uoride-contaminated groundwater for drinking, with uoride concentrations of more than the World Health Organization (WHO)–recommended value of 1.5 mg/L. The 1984 WHO guidelines mention that in areas with a warm/arid climate, the optimal uoride concentration in drinking water should be <1 mg/L (1 ppm), while in cooler climate regions it could be acceptable up to 1.2 mg/L. This differentiation is based on the fact that perspiration occurs more in hot weather and consequently more drinking water is generally consumed. The WHO has set a guideline value (permissible upper limit) for uoride in drinking water at 1.5 mg/L. There is minor deviation from this value for different countries.
