摘要：Occurrence of fluorine in ground water has drawn worldwide attention due to its considerable impact on human physiology. In the present study the fluoride concentration in underground water was determined in four panchayats of Vellore district of Tamil Nadu State (India) where it is the only source of drinking water. The other water quality parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity , total dissolved salts, total hardness, total alkalinity as well as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride and sulphate concentrations were also measured. The analytical results indicated considerable variations among the analyzed samples with respect to their chemical composition . The fluoride concentration in the underground water of these villages varied from 0.43 to 4.59 mg L-1, causing dental and skeletal fluorosis. Overall water quality was found unsatisfactory for drinking purposes without any prior treatment. The prevalence of dental and skeletal fluorosis was determined among the people of Narasingapuram panchayat of Alangayam block, Vellore district, where the fluoride concentration in drinking water ranges from 2.35 to 4.59 ppm. The study further revealed that male individuals are more prone to dental and skeletal fluorosis than the female individuals.
