CORRELATION OF FLUORIDE WITH FEW OTHER PHYSICOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF GROUNDWATER IN GULBARGA TALUK, KARNATAKA, INDIA

Groundwater pollution is one of the major concerns as it is directly related to human health. Gulbarga is one among the districts where the fluoride concentration is very high. The present study shows the fluoride concentration in Gulbarga taluk ranged between 1.61 and 5.17 mg/l. A simple correlation study is carried out to understand the relationship among the few available physicochemical parameters. The observed correlation relationship indicates that there is a strong interdependence among fluoride, pH, TH, TDS and elevation in the present study area. The study revealed that the entire taluk of Gulbarga is having fluoride concentration higher than the permissible limits. The authors are of the opinion that there is an urgent need of testing the water quality of all the drinking water wells in the taluk as a public health concern and identify safe drinking water sources in the taluk.