Assessment of groundwater quality with special emphasis on fluoride contamination in crystalline bed rock aquifers of Mettur region, Tamilnadu, India

Groundwater samples were collected from Mettur taluk of Salem district, Tamilnadu, India for two different seasons (pre-monsoon and post-monsoon) and analyzed for fluoride ion along with other chemical parameters. The major litho units of the study area are Charnockites, peninsular gneiss, and calc gneiss of meta-sedimentary group. The fluoride concentration ranges from 0.1 to 2.8 mg/L and 0.4 to 4.0 mg/L during pre-monsoon (PRM) and post-monsoon (POM) seasons, respectively. Results showed that collected water samples were contaminated by the presence of fluoride ion. During PRM and POM, 21% and 56% of samples recorded higher fluoride when compared with Indian Drinking Water Standard (1 mg/L) and (9% and 35%) of samples recorded higher fluoride when compared with World Health Organization tolerance limit (1.5 mg/L). The ratio of Na/Ca indicates high sodium content in groundwater enhances the dissolution of fluoride at higher pH. Hydrogeochemical facies indicates water-rock interaction as main source for high fluoride in groundwater. A positive correlation between pH, Mg, and F indicates high alkaline nature of water promotes fluoride leaching from source rocks into ground water. Factor analysis indicates hydro-geochemical processes like weathering, ion exchange, and anthropogenic contributes to groundwater chemistry. The saturation index indicates dissolution and precipitation contributes fluoride dissolution along with mixing.