Comparitive analysis of some important physicochemical parameters of surface soil and underground water samples of fluorotic areas of Agastheeswaram Union, South India

This paper analyses the fluoride concentration and some other important physicochemical parameters of 51 surface soil samples and 51 underground water samples of ten fluorotic areas of Agastheeswaram Union, South India. In all the fluorotic areas the surface soil samples were having fluoride levels greater than the undgerground water samples. The fluoride concentration in the soil was ranging between 2 to 3.5 ppm and in the water samples it was ranging between 1.3 to 2.7 ppm. Both the levels were found to be above the permissible limit. Other parameters such as pH, alkalinity, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, chloride, salinity and sodium were also measured. Alkalinity and pH were found to be higher than thepermissible limit in all the soil and water samples at various seasons. Finally it was predicted that leaching of minerals from the soil is responsible for high fluoride content in water samples and this inturn is responsible for the prevalence of fluorosis in the study area.