Fluoride Contamination In Groundwater Research Articles

A holistic study on fluoride-contaminated groundwater models and its widespread effects in healthcare and irrigation.

Groundwater is a key resource in the world. Its importance is often undermined, despite the various applications which include irrigation, drinking, sanitation, and industrial uses. One of the contaminants of groundwater is fluoride or the fluorine ion. Fluoride is a common pollutant of water, carrying potential benefits and costs to various sectors. Fluoride contamination of groundwater can impact humans, animals, healthcare, and the agricultural sector in direct or indirect ways. This paper aims to establish the definition of fluoride contamination of groundwater and simultaneously provide an outline of a few common sources that may cause fluoride contamination. Furthermore, this study will lay out the impacts of fluoride-contaminated groundwater on two sectors: healthcare and agriculture/irrigation. This study will also summarize various other research projects conducted across the world, which deliver promising evidence to support the points made throughout the paper. In addition to a detailed analysis of the impacts of fluoride on the healthcare and agricultural sector, this study also evaluates few other challenges which this issue poses and how to overcome them in the near future. A summation of deflouridation techniques is included, along with the future scope pertaining to the field of fluoride contamination. Another objective of the study is to spread awareness about the various health impacts that fluoride contamination poses and encourages consumption of fluoride in accordance with the set limit of 0.5-1.5 mg/L. The motivation behind writing this review is to compile and document various researches, along with an address on this prevalent issue to minimize the detrimental impacts and potential health risks on the society. The results of this study help to minimize risks in the future and encourage scientists to come up with mitigation strategies to ensure a safer environment.

Synergistic removal of fluoride from groundwater by seed crystals and bacteria based on microbially induced calcium precipitation

A new hypothesis that seed crystals (SC) and bacteria based on microbially induced calcium precipitation (MICP) synergistically remove fluoride (F−) from groundwater was proposed, with a focus on evaluating the defluoridation potential of this method and revealing its F− removal mechanism. The crucial conditions were optimized to reduce preparation and operation costs. SC furnished more available binding sites due to the existence of bacteria, and the reuse experiments showed that the defluoridation efficiency of SC still remained a high level after 14 cycles (70.10%), with a residual F− concentration of 0.96 mg L−1. The SEM-EDS, FTIR and XRD analyses indicated the predominant F− removal mechanism of SC could be ascribed to the chemisorption, ion exchange, and co-precipitation. Moreover, ion exchange and co-precipitation (PO43− involvement) were validated more contributive than chemisorption (CaCO3 and CaSO4 involvement). As a feasible, reusable, and eco-friendly technique, SC suggests promising applications in the treatment of fluoride-contaminated groundwater.

Predicting geogenic groundwater fluoride contamination throughout China

Endemic fluorosis exists in almost all provinces of China. The long-term ingestion of groundwater containing high concentrations of fluoride is one of the main causes of fluorosis. We used artificial neural network to model the relationship between groundwater fluoride concentrations from throughout China and environmental variables such as climatic, geological. and soil parameters as proxy predictors. The results show that the accuracy and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the model in the test dataset are 80.5% and 0.86%, respectively, and climatic variables are the most effective predictors. Based on the artificial neural network model, a nationwide prediction risk map of fluoride concentrations exceeding 1.5 mg/L with a 0.5 × 0.5 arc minutes resolution was generated. The high risk areas are mainly located in western provinces of Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai, and Sichuan, and the northern provinces of Inner Mongolia, Hebei and Shandong. The total number of people estimated to be potentially at risk of fluorosis due to the use of untreated high fluoride groundwater as drinking water is about 89 million, or 6% of the population. The high fluoride groundwater risk map helps the authorities to prioritize areas requiring mitigation measures and thus facilitates the implementation of water improvement and defluoridation projects.

Prediction on the fluoride contamination in groundwater at the Datong Basin, Northern China: Comparison of random forest, logistic regression and artificial neural network

Groundwater fluoride is posing a health risk to humans, and analyzing groundwater quality is time-wasting and expensive. Statistical methods provide a valuable approach to study the spatial distribution of groundwater fluoride. Random Forest (RF), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and Logistic Regression (LR) were used in this study for groundwater fluoride prediction in Datong Basin. The groundwater chemistry of 482 groundwater samples was collected and used to figure out the performance of three statistical technologies and extract the main factors controlling the enrichment of fluoride in groundwater. The data was separated into two parts for the statistical analysis, 80% for training and 20% for testing. The Chi-squared was applied to select the most relevant variables, and TDS, Cl−, NO3−, Na+, HCO3−, SO42−, K+, Zn, Ca2+, and Mg2+ were selected as best inputs for the fluoride prediction. Models were evaluated using the confusion matrix and The receiver operating characteristic area under the curve ROC (AUC). The results suggest that within ten input variables, the accuracies of RF, ANN, and LR were 0.89, 0.85, and 0.76, respectively. The mean decrease in impurity (MDI) and permutation feature demonstrates that eight of ten parameters, including TDS, Cl−, NO3−, Na+, HCO3−, SO42−, Ca2+ and Mg2+ are the variables influencing the groundwater fluoride in the study area. RF exhibited the best model with high conformity and confidence in predicting groundwater fluoride contamination in the study area.

Remediation of chromium- and fluoride-contaminated groundwater by immobilized Citrobacter sp. on a nano-ZrO2 hybrid material.

To effectively address excessive SO42-, Cr(VI), total chromium and F- in the groundwater of acidic mining areas, a facultative anaerobic bacterium, Citrobacter, with sulfate-reducing properties, tolerance to hexavalent chromium and the ability to reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III) was isolated and domesticated. Based on microbial immobilization technology, a nano-ZrO2 polyacrylamide hybrid material was prepared as an embedding agent to form nano-ZrO2 polyacrylamide Citrobacter (ZPC) particles. ZPC was microscopically characterized, and the removal performance and mechanism of ZPC for SO42-, Cr(VI), total chromium and F- in groundwater were analyzed. The results of single-factor tests showed that the optimal reaction conditions included a reaction temperature of 35°C, Citrobacter dosage of 35% (volume ratio) in the particles and hybrid material dosage of 300 mL; under these conditions, the removal rates of SO42-, Cr(VI), total chromium and F- were 70.5%, 100%, 100% and 93.3%, respectively, and the pH value increased from 4.6 to 8.07. On this basis, the effects of the reaction layer type, influent hydraulic load and influent concentration on the removal efficiency of polluted groundwater were studied through dynamic experiments. The experimental results showed that ZPC particles were better than Citrobacter as a reaction layer; the optimal influent hydraulic load was 3.0 m3/(m2·d); the selectivity of ZPC particles to anions and anionic groups was different; and the order of adsorption selectivity was F- > Cr(VI) > SO42-.

Hydrochemical evolution and assessment of groundwater quality in fluorosis-affected area, Mandla District, central India

Deterioration of groundwater quality is a matter of serious concern today. In Mandla region of central India, fluorosis is common among the local people due to consumption of fluoride-contaminated groundwater. It is, therefore, important to understand the hydrochemical process of contamination and assess the groundwater quality of this region. A total of 173 samples (pre-monsoon and post-monsoon) were collected from borewells and dug wells of different depths for major ions analysis: K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl−, CO32−, HCO3−, NO3−, SO42−, and F−; along with pH, temperature, TH (as CaCO3), TDS and EC. Broadly, three hydrogeologic units have been identified, viz. Deccan lava flows, infratrappean Lameta and Archean granite and gneiss. In Deccan, two distinct hydrostratigraphic units are Mandla and Dhuma. Mandla is the most prominent and extensive aquifer having hydraulic conductivity 5–15 mday-1 and yield 10–50 m3day−1. Water quality data vis-à-vis well-depth data indicate that Mandla aquifer, lying at a lower elevation than 500 m amsl, is fluoride-contaminated and harmful for human health. Fluoride (41.0% of total samples) and bicarbonate (54.9% of total samples) concentrations in analyzed water are above the global standard for drinking purpose. However, above 500 m msl groundwater is not contaminated with fluoride and is suitable for drinking and irrigation purpose. Fluoride concentration maps depict spatial and seasonal variation. Spatial variation of fluoride in groundwater is due to change in aquifer lithology, varying degree of rock weathering and orientation of structural lineaments. In fluoride concentration map of post-monsoon season, broadening of contour of uncontaminated zone indicates groundwater recharge, which corroborates with water fluctuation map. The fluoride-contaminated water and low-fluoride water are mainly Na–HCO3 and Ca–HCO3 type, respectively. The hydrochemical processes suggest pre-dominance of rock-water interaction; contribution of Na+ and K+ ions in groundwater is due to silicate weathering, whereas Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions are derived due to both silicate and carbonate weathering. Saturation index calculation point towards calcite-dolomite supersaturation and consequent precipitation, along with fluorite dissolution under alkaline condition.

Geoclassification of fluoride‐affected areas of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

AbstractThe availability and quality of groundwater for drinking purpose is steadily decreasing due to influx of contaminants and high rate of extraction. Fluoride contamination in groundwater is posing serious threat to human health, being a reason of dental and skeletal fluorosis. The present study is aimed to assess the current status of fluoride in groundwater resources of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, and geoclassify the location on the scale of fluorosis threat. The study was conducted in eight blocks of Lucknow, targeting 190 spots. 82.11% of groundwater samples were found within the permissible limit, while 17.89% samples revealed fluoride concentration higher than the permissible limit (1.5 mg/L) prescribed by WHO in 2011. It was observed that around 81.47% population of Sarojininagar, 62.51% population of Kakori, 43.03% population of Mohanlalganj, 6.16% population of Gosaiganj, and 5.47% population of Chinhat are currently exposed to high fluoride concentration (> 1.5 mg/L) and prone to risk of adverse health effect posed by excess fluoride consumption. If the current scenario continues, the proportion of population vulnerable to fluoride toxicity may increase in the future.

Hydro Chemical Analysis and Assessment of Fluoride Contamination in Groundwater Using GIS, in Thar Desert Area of Rajasthan

Water is essential natural resource for sustaining life and environment, chemical composition of surface or subsurface, geothermal or non - thermal, is one of the prime factors on which the suitability of the water for domestic, industrial or agriculture purpose depends. In the present study several points of ground water sources such as open wells, bore wells and hand pumps have been selected to check the portability of water. The groundwater contour analysis is done by using Arc GIS software. Geographic Information System (GIS) approach to develop spatial information and knowledge based on the ground water quality of Thar desert area (Bikaner, Kota, Jaisalmeir, Jodhpur, Barmer, Udaipur, Nagore) has been found to be very useful. GIS database also helps in decision-making process by identifying the most sensitive zones that need immediate attention. This study reveals that the ground water is the only source for people in the study area, and the results of the chemical analysis with special emphasis on Fluoride contaminaton of ground water shows considerable variation. High concentrations of fluoride pose a risk of dental fluorosis as well as skeletal fluorosis and osteoporosis.

Ionic flux and geological release of fluoride in groundwater sources of a semi-arid tropical region in south India

ABSTRACT Groundwater with excess fluoride content is a major issue in most of the states in India. Mineral ions and its seasonal fluctuations are influencing fluoride contamination in groundwater sources to a greater extent. Reports on health issues from several regions of south India have instigated detailed studies on groundwater fluoride contamination and the geo-environmental reasons underlying it. Fluoride contamination in the groundwater sources of Palakkad district, a semi-arid tropical region in South India, was assessed along with major anions and cations. The study revealed that 89% of Po, 88% of Pr, and 52% of Mo samples exceeded the BIS limit of fluoride concentration of 1.0 mg/L. The piper plot and correlation studies affirm that fluoride contamination is accelerated by a higher concentration of magnesium, sodium ions and a lower concentration of calcium and dissolved iron. The negative correlation of fluoride with nitrates supports its geological origin. Fluoride contamination is highly linked with the hornblende biotite gneiss (~ 42%) distributed in the central-eastern part of the district. IDW interpolation defines a maximum of 3.4 mg/L of fluoride in the groundwater sources. The overdose of fluoride in drinking water, which exceeded the OFC level, is noted to be the reason for the prevalence of fluorosis in the study area. The study recommends 0.61 mg/L of fluoride as an OFC limit for drinking purposes.

Assessment of Fluoride Contaminated Ground Water and Its Impact with Special Reference To Seoni (M.P.), India

Assessment of Fluoride Contaminated Ground Water and Its Impact with Special Reference To Seoni (M.P.), India

Isolation of Fluoride Resistant Microorganisms from Fluoride Contaminated Ground Water Samples of Nalgonda District and their role in Bioremediation

Consuming of water contaminated with high fluoride concentration for a very long time causes health problems such as, dental and skeletal fluorosis. Hence, defluoridation of water is essentially required before consumption, when water is contaminated with high fluoride concentration. In this present study, research was focussed on to isolate bacteria which are showing fluoride resistantance from samples of ground water from high fluoride affected regions of Nalgonda. After analysis of 10 samples from different areas of Nalgonda district, two samples of ground water from Narketpally and Nampally showed the high fluoride concentrations of 9.18 ppm and 7.55 ppm respectively. Hence, in the present study, Narketpally ground water sample with highest ppm was considered to isolate fluoride resistant bacteria. A total of eight fluoride resistant organisms were purified from this sample with varying fluoride resistance on Luria Bertani agar with varying fluoride concentraion from 25mg/L to 600mg/L at pH 7. Among the eight strains isolated, three strains MB1, F and G were showing high fluoride resistance (up to 500mg/L), which were further explored for their role in bioremediation of fluoride. In batch mode study, MB1 strain showed high fluoride degradation of 68%, whereas, F and G strains showed 57% and 44%fluoride removal, respectively, when fluoride concentration was present at 20 mgL-1 at 30 °C temperature and pH 7, with dextrose (10 g) utilised as source of carbon per 100 mL media after incubation of 8 days. Results indicate that, MB1 possibly a potential fluoride resistant bacterium with high fluoride bioremediation capacity.

Sources, controls, and probabilistic health risk assessment of fluoride contamination in groundwater from a semi-arid region in Gujarat, Western India: An isotope-hydrogeochemical perspective.

Fluoride contamination in groundwaters of a rural region in semi-arid Western India has been studied using combination of geochemical-and-isotopic techniques, in conjunction with Health Quotient assessment approach. The objective of this study is to determine the sources and controls on fluoride content and to evaluate probabilistic non-carcinogenic risk associated with its long-term consumption. F- ranges from 0.3 to 12mg L-1, shows high spatial variability, and ~ 35% of the samples have F- > 1.5mg L-1 (WHO maximum limit for drinking). Two sources are identified: high F- results from water-rock interaction of F-bearing minerals in granites and gneisses, while phosphate fertilizers can contribute up to ~ 0.46mg L-1 of groundwater F- that can be significant for low F- samples. High F- samples are characterized by high pH, Na and alkalinity, and low Ca. Calcite precipitation drives the solubility of F-bearing minerals. Kinetic fractionation of water isotopes (18O and 2H) demonstrates that evaporation plays role in enriching groundwater F-. Non-carcinogenic risk, estimated by Hazard Quotient ([Formula: see text]), ranges from 0.13-5.72 to 0.26-11.86 for adult and children, respectively. Conservative estimate shows that ~ 0.467 million of adults and~0.073 million of children in four sub-districts are under the risk of fluorosis-while the residents of other five sub-districts remain safe from it. Finally, we suggest stakeholders to install F- treatment plants to ensure the health safety of local residents in the high-risk zones, create awareness in farmers for optimum use of fertilizers, and promote rainwater harvesting, for better management of groundwater resources and quality in the region.

Groundwater fluoride contamination in Coimbatore district: a geochemical characterization, multivariate analysis, and human health risk perspective

In this paper, fluoride geochemistry and health risk of groundwater in Coimbatore district is studied. The order of dominance of ions were HCO3 > Cl > SO4 > CO3 and Na > Ca > Mg > K. Alkaline groundwater and the dominance of HCO3 and Na is favourable for the fluoride enrichment. Around 46% of the samples, N–NE regions, have F− higher than permissible limit of 1.5 mg/L. Pink granites, charnockite and gneisses in lithology is the possible origin of F−. However, NO3 vs F plot shows positive trend in some samples, indicating anthropogenic inputs of F−. Correlation plots of F− was trending positive with pH, HCO3 and Na and but negative for Ca, indicating the control of these ions in F− mobility. This result is supported by undersaturation of fluorite and supersaturation of carbonates. Four significant principal components were derived, which have explained 87% of the total variation. PC1 has high factor loadings for EC, Ca, Mg Na, Cl, SO4, NO3 indicating both natural and anthropogenic influences. PC2, PC3 and PC4 have higher loading for pH and HCO3, K and HCO3 and F−, respectively, indicating geogenic factors in the F− enrichment. Human health risk assessment (HHRA) by ingestion and dermal pathways were calculated using Hazard Quotient HQ and Hazard Index (HI). 27% of males, 36% of females and 39% of the children have HI > 1, posing noncarcinogenic risks.

Meta-analysis and risk assessment of fluoride contamination in groundwater.

This study aimed to carry out a systematic review of meta-analysis and risk assessment of the global pooled concentration of fluoride and identify the influencing factors of fluoride loads in groundwater. The study extracted data from 36 most prevalent regions of 20 countries in the world through various search engines using keywords as well as Boolean operators and follows the PRISMA statement in every phase of literature searching. The study illustrated the pooled concentration of fluoride in the selected 20 countries was 2.1267mg/L (1.650, 2.604) at 95% confidence interval, which was higher than the WHO standards limit of 1.5mg/L. The results of the meta-analysis suggested that pH, Na, HCO3 and rainfall was significantly positively correlated (r=~0.4; p˂0.05) to fluoride and has a weak correction with the other parameters such as local temperature, altitude, water depth, EC, Ca, and Mg (r=-0.064 to +0.214; p˂0.05). Concerning, the risk assessment through oral and dermal route exposure revealed that the consumers in most of the regions were at considerable risk, and the children were more vulnerable than the adults (THQ>1). The study findings would help to take measures for safe water supply in the affected areas. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The calculated pooled concentration of fluoride was 2.1267mg/L (1.650, 2.604) at 95% CI in groundwater of the study areas. Climatic conditions and lithological composition are the key controlling factors for groundwater fluoride contamination. Semi-arid and arid regions are significantly affected by fluoride rather than humid areas. Regarding fluorosis in selected regions, children (78%) are more vulnerable than adults (23%).

Study on Fluoride Contamination in Ground Water (Drinking water) of Deoghar, Jharkhand, India

Fluoride contamination in groundwater is one of the foremost natural mishaps for the different districts of Jharkhand. The present study was carried out to know the concentration of fluoride in the groundwater of Deoghar city. For this experiment, twelve samples were selected from each zone namely East, West, North and South. In each zone three places were selected to check the fluoride level in groundwater. Overall 36 water samples (36 samples used and the experiment was done in triplicate) from 12 different tube wells of Deoghar city were collected and investigated by using fluoride test kit. The lowest average value observed 0.343 ppm in civil lines (west zone). The highest average value 1.670 ppm observed in the Jaruadih (north part) of the Deoghar city respectively. In this study, it was observed that few locations showed fluoride contamination near the permissible limit or just above the limit (1.5 mg/L) but the remaining all areas are safe as they possess fluoride concentration within desirable limits (0.5-1 mg/L). Thus this study indicated that most of Deoghar city is free from Fluoride contamination and statistically insignificant difference of fluoride concentration was observed in Jhousagari and Jaruadih area when compared with WHO standards. The present study clearly showed that different areas of four zones are free from fluoride contamination but much more study is also needed for further more information.

Fluoride Contamination in Groundwater, Around Bhopalpatnam Area, District-Bijapur, Chhattisgarh: Adverse Effect on Human Health

In India many cases of fluorosis (dental and skeletal) have been reported in Archaean and Proterozoic granitic and gneissic t errain from Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. The origin of hazardous fluoride is attributed to geological reasons. A systematic study is required to understand the behavior of fluoride in drinking water particularly in terms of hydrogeological settings, climatic conditions etc. The present study is an effort to assess hydrogeological study of groundwater in parts of Bhopalpatnam area, District-Bijapur, Chhattisgarh. The study is conducted to understand the fluoride contamination in groundwater and to infer the chemical parameters responsible for distribution of fluoride. The study area is underlain partly by crystalline basement and partly by Proterozoic sedimentary rocks (sandstone, shale and limestone). A total 57 water samples have been taken from dug cum bored wells from the study area in June 2015. The results of chemical analysis showed fluoride concentration from 0.12mg/l to 3.58mg/l. The fluoride bearing minerals in host rock interacted with groundwater and through chemical decomposition, dissociation, reactions dissolution fluoride concentration increased in groundwater. Chemical weathering with relatively high alkalinity favors high concentration of fluoride in Groundwater. Villagers have no option to drink high fluoride groundwater as a result they were badly suffered from dental and skeletal fluorosis.

Fluoride release from carbonate-rich fluorapatite during managed aquifer recharge: Model-based development of mitigation strategies

Fluoride-bearing apatite minerals such as fluorapatite (FAP: Ca10(PO4)6F2) and related carbonate-rich fluorapatites (CFA: Ca10(PO4)5(CO3,F)F2), which occur ubiquitously as trace components of rocks and sediments, may act as sources for geogenic groundwater fluoride contamination. CFA dissolution often occurs in conjunction with declining dissolved calcium concentrations. Therefore, managed aquifer recharge (MAR) operations using deionised or low calcium source water are at risk of disturbing the naturally persisting geochemical equilibrium between CFA and the ambient groundwater and induce fluoride mobilisation. In this study, we employ reactive transport modelling to investigate how an engineered manipulation of the MAR source water composition might mitigate such groundwater fluoride contamination. Based on a previously developed and calibrated model for Australia's largest groundwater replenishment operation, we investigate the efficiency of (i) raising aqueous calcium concentration through the addition of CaCl2 or Ca(OH)2 amendment, (ii) raising aqueous sodium concentrations through the addition of NaCl or sea salt amendment and (iii) raising the pH. The modelling results illustrate in detail how the geochemical zonation around injection boreholes evolves over time and how this affects fluoride release and attenuation for the different amendment types. Treatments involving the addition of calcium and sodium in the source water are both found to be effective at reducing maximum groundwater fluoride concentrations during MAR, with calcium generally producing the greatest reduction in maximum fluoride concentrations. In contrast, increasing the injectate pH was found to be inefficient in reducing fluoride concentrations significantly due to the strong pH buffering effect of the aquifer sediments.

Health risk assessment due to fluoride contamination in groundwater of Bichpuri, Agra, India: a case study

The present study deals with the assessment of health risks due to fluoride contamination in Bichpuri block of Agra, India. Sampling was carried out from 60 different spatially distributed well locations. Assessment of human health risk was carried out using computations based on chronic daily intake (CDI) and hazard quotient (HQ) in all three categories, i.e., infants, children, and adults. Fluoride ingested by adults, as estimated in terms of CDI was found 1.5 times greater than infants and 1.25 times than children, correspondingly indicating severity of health issue. Moreover, values of HQ were found greater than 1 in the entire target group having infants, children, and adults with the exception only in Bichpuri village of the block. More than 92% of the samples showed risk values exceeding the safe level of 1, indicating vulnerable quality of water due to fluoride. Piper and Schoeller diagram were also plotted to explore presence of other important ions present in the groundwater of studied area.

Fe3+ decorated titanate nanotubes for enhanced fluoride adsorption

Abstract Fluoride contamination (≥1.5 mg/L) in groundwater is a global problem which demands efficient defluoridating agents. Novel fluoride adsorbent was designed by decorating titanate nanotubes (TNT) with Fe3+ ions. Hydrothermally synthesized TNTs were decorated with Fe via wet-chemical method to obtain the adsorbent Fe-TNT. The physical characteristics of the synthesized adsorbent were analyzed using XRD, SEM-EDX, TEM, BET and TGA. Batch adsorption experiments were done to estimate its adsorption efficiency. Fe-TNTs exhibited 5-fold enhancement in fluoride adsorption efficiency when compared to that of TNT at pH 3. It was possible to reduce 10 mg/L of fluoride to WHO limits (≤1.5 mg/L) within just 60 mins, using only 2.6 g/L of Fe-TNT. A maximum of 96.8% removal efficiency was achieved using 4 g/L of Fe-TNT. It possessed a Langmuir fluoride adsorption capacity of 65 mg/g.

Potential Human Health Risks Due to Groundwater Fluoride Contamination: A Case Study Using Multi-techniques Approaches (GWQI, FPI, GIS, HHRA) in Bilate River Basin of Southern Main Ethiopian Rift, Ethiopia.

The main focus of the present research was to examine the appropriateness of groundwater resources for drinking purposes in the Bilate River Basin of Southern Main Ethiopian Rift, Ethiopia. The groundwater quality index (GWQI), fluoride pollution index (FPI), and human health risk were usedto examine the human health risk factors associated with the intake of high fluoride groundwater. For this purpose, 29 groundwater samples were collected from the existing wells and were analyzed forvarious physicochemical parameters. The dominant cation was Na+, followed by Ca2+, Mg2+, and K+. The dominant anion was HCO3-, followed by Cl-, SO42-, and F-. The Gibbs plotshows thatrock-water interactions are the dominant factor controlling the groundwater chemistry. By using the GWQI, the quality of groundwater samples was 31% excellent, 21% good, 31% poor, and 17% very poor. The fluoride concentration in groundwater ranges from 0.2 to 5.60mg/L (mean, 2.10mg/L). 59% (i.e., 17 wells) of the groundwater samples were not suitable for drinking, because they surpassed the drinking water quality limit of 1.5mg/L. The remaining 41% (i.e., 12 wells) of the samples were suitable for drinking. The FPI indicates that 51.72% of the wells were highly polluted by fluoride. The noncarcinogenic health risk varies from 0.75 to 8.44 for children (83%), 0.34-3.84 for women (62%), and 0.27-3.01 for men (52%), which indicates that children are at higher health risk than women and men due to the physiological condition and the rates of ingestion.