Strategies for Low-Cost Water Defluoridation of Drinking Water-A Review of Progress

Abstract

One of the biggest challenges of 21st century is to ensure safe drinking water-supplies and environmental sanitation which are vital for protecting the environment, improving health and alleviating poverty. Natural contamination of groundwater sources by fluoride, arsenic and dissolved salts is the main health menace at present in many parts of Pakistan and other countries. Most of the fluoride in drinking water, either occurring naturally or added will be in the form of the free fluoride ion. It is a big challenge to investigate appropriate, low cost methods and technologies to be applied in developing countries to make fluoride contaminated water drinkable. In this paper low cost fluoride removal methods have been discussed and compared for application in developing countries.