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Ecology & Environment
Pradeep Kumar

15/09/21 11:25 AM IST

Flouride has poisoned agricultural soil, crops in Bengal

In news

A new study has pointed out how crops and vegetables that use fluoride-contaminated groundwater have been contributing to an increase in consumption of fluoride among locals.

About the study
  • Groundwater in Purulia and Bankura is already known to be fluoride-contaminated, as it crosses the desirable limit of 1.5 milligram per litres of concentration as per the World Health Organization standards.
  • The study investigated the magnitude of fluoride contamination in agricultural land soil and food crops in these two districts as well as its adverse impact on the health of locals.
  • Farmers in Bankura and Purulia use groundwater extensively, particularly to cultivate crops during summers.
  • Contaminated water, therefore, is being used to cultivate crops for years due to the lack of government intervention. 
  • The concentration of fluoride in groundwater above the permissible level is, therefore, a factor that contributes to the accumulation of fluoride in agricultural soil and crops, the study stated. 
Stages of toxicity
  • There are three stages to fluoride toxicity, according to Roychowdhury: “First, the groundwater used for agricultural purposes deposits a good amount of fluoride in the soil.
  • Then this fluoride is absorbed by crops, and it enters the food chain system, causing harm to the human body.
  • The study found that the accumulation of fluoride was higher in leafy and non-leafy vegetables than in pulses and cereals from both districts.
  • The maximum accumulation was found in onion, while being minimum in rice.
  • It also found that children were the most vulnerable to fluoride contamination due to their low body weight. 
The menace of flouride contamination 
  • Fluoride is an essential micronutrient and has both beneficial and detrimental effects on human health.
  • However, exposure to high levels of fluoride causes dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis and non-skeletal fluorosis.
  • Ligaments calcification, liver and kidney dysfunction, nerve weakness, developmental disorder, organ tissue damage, bending of legs, weakness, anemia, depression, gastrointestinal problems, loss of appetite, and brittle bone problems in children are some of the commonly seen health issues. 
  • Children mostly suffer from dental fluorosis, a condition that is largely irreversible.
  • Severe skeletal and non-skeletal issues become more prominent only after several years of continuous consumption of fluoride-contaminated food.
Source: DTE

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