Recent advances in defluoridation of water in India

Water is an essential natural resource for sustaining life. Fluorosis is an endemic disease prevalent in 22 states in India affecting 70 million individuals. The process of removal of fluoride ions from water is known as defluoridation. Defluoridation of water can be achieved through of techniques like adsorption, ion exchange, precipitation and membrane techniques. Vast varieties of materials are used for the process. Defluoridation in India is peculiar because the endemic areas are mainly remote rural areas with poor economic conditions. The need for cost effective techniques and materials with good defluoridation capacity is always the area of research in the Indian scenario. The recent advances in research arena show the future of the defluoridation in India. Effective, easily available and low cost materials (Chemicals, indigenous products and herbal materials) are the core of investigations. Modifications of known materials used for defluoridation can also produce good results. These materials are suitable in Indian conditions because of the ease of availability and cost effectiveness.