Fluoride in South African Groundwater: National Occurrence, Health Effects, and Mitigation

Abstract

Naturally occurring fluoride in groundwater exceeds the South African drinking water limit of 1.5 mg/L in parts of Limpopo, Northern Cape, and North West, causing dental and skeletal fluorosis. This study presents a national groundwater fluoride database compiled from 9 400 samples, maps high-risk areas at municipal level, and evaluates defluoridation technologies including bone char, activated alumina, and nanofiltration for community and household scale application.

Authors

Categories