RESUMO
Over the last few decades the water quality is deteriorating in arid and semi-arid regions. Phulera tehsil is facing the problem of groundwater pollution. In the present investigation, determination of fluoride (F) in drinking water was conducted in (200 samples of) 40 villages of Phulera fehsil having fluoride content more than permissible limits (> 1.5 mg l(-1)). After the pilot survey symptoms of skeletal and gut fluorosis have been found in almost every inhabitant. The water samples were alkaline with pH ranging from 7.05 to 10.16. Electrical conductivity (EC) ranged from 157 micromhoScm(-1) to 1018 micromhoS cm(-1). Calcium hardness (Ca-H) ranged from 10 to 127 mg l(-1). Total hardness (TH) varied from 69 to 572 mg l(-1). Chloride varied from 92.00 mg l(-1) to 1422.00 mg l(-1) and fluoride from 1.20 to 18 mg l(-1). The alkalinity of all water samples were found to be more than the permissible limit. The results envisaged that the quality of ground water of Phulera is very poor, and is not suitable for drinking purpose and can only be used after proper treatment.