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Fluoride in irrigation waters of Agra district, Uttar Pradesh
War. Res. Vol. 21, No. 8, pp. 889-890. 1987 Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved
FLUORIDE
Copyright
IN IRRIGATION DISTRICT, UTTAR
VINAY
SINGH,
Department of Agricultural
RAM
and
NARAIN
November
0043 I354/87 S3.00 + 0.00 1987 Pcrgamon Journals Ltd
WATERS OF AGRA PRADESH CHANDRA
PRAKASH Bichpuri,
Chemistry and Soil Science, R.B.S. College, (Received
0
Agra,
India
1985)
Abstract-Underground waters of the semi-arid tract of Agra were examined for their F concentration and other chemical constituents. The F concentration in waters varied from 0.2 to 3.2 mg I-’ and 56% of the waters contained injurious concentration of F for drinking water. However, these waters were not harmful for most crops with respect to F concentration. Fluoride concentration was not correlated with EC, B and Na concentration of groundwaters. Key
words-fluoride,
irrigation,
semi-arid,
drinking
water,
INTRODUCI’ION
Fluoride becomes toxic to animals and human beings when present at concentrations > 1 mg 1-l in drinking water (Galagan and Vermillian, 1957) and injurious to some crops when present at > 10 mg 1-l in soil solution (Leone et al., 1948). Kanwar and Mehta (1968), Paliwal ef al. (1969), Somani er al. (1972) and Singh and Sinsinwar (1975) reported higher concentration of F in underground water from different localities. Some of these waters are unsuitable for drinking and if used for irrigation may be accumulated at concentrations in fodder crops injurious to cattle. Because of this, the underground waters of the semi-arid tract of Agra were analysed for F content. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three hundred water samples were collected from four tehsils (Bah, Etmadpur, Fatehabad and Firozabad) of Agra district. From each tehsil 75 water samples were collected from
December
to March
when
the wells and tubewells
were
in use for irrigation. The analysis of water and determination of F was carried out using the methods of Richards (1954).
SAR, or Na concentration of the well waters of Agra was found which is in agreement with results obtained earlier by Kanwar and Mehta (1968) and Somani et al. (1972). It appears that concentration of F is not related with other chemical characteristics of the groundwaters most probably because of the different types of F bearing minerals with different solubility. Considering that 1 mgl-’ is the safe limit of F in drinking waters (Galagan and Vermillian, 1957), more than 56% of the tested waters are unsuitable for drinking purposes. A safe limit of 10 mg 1-l of F has been proposed for all types of crop plants by Leone et 01. (1948). Our data suggest that almost all waters tested can be used for irrigation. The proposal of Leone ef al. (1948) may not be equally applicable to these waters of arid and semiarid regions where F toxicity is also associated with high salinity. A continuous use of such waters having toxic concentration of F is likely to adversely affect crop growth, as has been reported by Kanwar and Mehta (1968) for berseem in the Hansi tehsil of Hissar under field conditions. Paliwal er al. (1969) reported that on an average 7 mg I-’ of F along with Table
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The composition of water samples is given in Table 1. The F concentration in these waters varied from 0.2 to 3.2 mg 1-l with a mean value of 1.3 mg 1-l. The ranges and average values of F in Bah, Etmadpur, Fatehabad and Firozabad tehsils were 0.2-3.2; 1.7, 0.2-3.0; 1.2, 0.2-3.1; 1.1 and 0.2-3.0; 1.2mg 1-l respectively. Singh and Sinsinwar (1975) and Pal (1983) reported F concentration in Bharatpur (Rajasthan) and Agra (Uttar Pradesh) districts from trace to 18.4mgl-‘andtraceto21,0mgl-‘withmeansof1.3 and 6.8 mg I-’ respectively. No significant correlation between F with EC, 889
groundwater
I. Chemical
characteristics of underground region
Agra
Average
SD
8.9 3.0 26.9
7.4 0.3 3.0
8.1 I.2 6.5
0.6 1.3 3.1
K+
21.7 10.6 1.6
2.0 0.8 Tr
8.7 3.6 0.4
4.5 2.1 0.3
Anions (me I-‘) clso:CO;--HCO, F (mg I-’ B (mg I-‘)
8.4 I I.2 24.0 3.2 3.0
0.4 Tr Tr 0.2 0.1
1.7 I.3 9.8 I.1 0.7
I .4 I.5 5.1 0.6 0.6
Characteristics PH EC (dS m-r) SAR Carions (me I-‘) Na+ Ca’+ + Mg’+
Tr = traces.
Maximum Minimum
waters
890
VINAY
SINCH
an EC values of 6 dS m-’ (1 dS m-’ = 1000 ds m-‘; 1 dS m-’ = 1 mmho cm-‘) was detrimental to the growth of wheat. According to this criterion, all tested waters are safe and may be used for irrigating wheat.
REFERENCES
Galagan D. J. and Verrnillian J. R. (1957) Determining optumun fluoride concentrations. Publ. HIth Rep. Wash. 72, 491-493.
Kanwar J. S. and Mehta K. K. (1968) Toxicity of fluorine in some well waters of Haryana and Punjab. Indian J. agric.
Sci. 38, 881-886.
Leone L. A., Vermillian
E. G. and Daines R. R. (1948)
el al.
Some effects of fluorine in peach, tomato and buck wheat when absorbed through the roots. Soil Sci. 66, 259-266. Pal B. (1983) Potential hazards of nitrates and fluoride in underground waters. War. Rex 17, 353-354. Paliwal K. V., Mehta K. K. and Gandhi R. P. (1969) Fluorine in irrigation waters of Bhilwara district of Rajasthan. Indian J. agric. Sci. 39, 1083-1087. Richards L. A. ed (1954) Diagnosis and Improvement of Saline and Alkali Soils. Agric. Handbook No. 60, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Singh V. and Sinsinwar P. S. (1975) Note on the toxicity of fluorine in groundwaters of Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. Indian J. agric. Sci. 45, 495-497. Somani L. L., Gandhi A. P. and Paliwal K. V. (1972) Note on the toxicity of fluorine in well waters of Nagaur and Jaipur districts of Rajasthan. Indian J. agric. Sci. 42, 752-754.
FLUORIDE
Copyright
IN IRRIGATION DISTRICT, UTTAR
VINAY
SINGH,
Department of Agricultural
RAM
and
NARAIN
November
0043 I354/87 S3.00 + 0.00 1987 Pcrgamon Journals Ltd
WATERS OF AGRA PRADESH CHANDRA
PRAKASH Bichpuri,
Chemistry and Soil Science, R.B.S. College, (Received
0
Agra,
India
1985)
Abstract-Underground waters of the semi-arid tract of Agra were examined for their F concentration and other chemical constituents. The F concentration in waters varied from 0.2 to 3.2 mg I-’ and 56% of the waters contained injurious concentration of F for drinking water. However, these waters were not harmful for most crops with respect to F concentration. Fluoride concentration was not correlated with EC, B and Na concentration of groundwaters. Key
words-fluoride,
irrigation,
semi-arid,
drinking
water,
INTRODUCI’ION
Fluoride becomes toxic to animals and human beings when present at concentrations > 1 mg 1-l in drinking water (Galagan and Vermillian, 1957) and injurious to some crops when present at > 10 mg 1-l in soil solution (Leone et al., 1948). Kanwar and Mehta (1968), Paliwal ef al. (1969), Somani er al. (1972) and Singh and Sinsinwar (1975) reported higher concentration of F in underground water from different localities. Some of these waters are unsuitable for drinking and if used for irrigation may be accumulated at concentrations in fodder crops injurious to cattle. Because of this, the underground waters of the semi-arid tract of Agra were analysed for F content. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three hundred water samples were collected from four tehsils (Bah, Etmadpur, Fatehabad and Firozabad) of Agra district. From each tehsil 75 water samples were collected from
December
to March
when
the wells and tubewells
were
in use for irrigation. The analysis of water and determination of F was carried out using the methods of Richards (1954).
SAR, or Na concentration of the well waters of Agra was found which is in agreement with results obtained earlier by Kanwar and Mehta (1968) and Somani et al. (1972). It appears that concentration of F is not related with other chemical characteristics of the groundwaters most probably because of the different types of F bearing minerals with different solubility. Considering that 1 mgl-’ is the safe limit of F in drinking waters (Galagan and Vermillian, 1957), more than 56% of the tested waters are unsuitable for drinking purposes. A safe limit of 10 mg 1-l of F has been proposed for all types of crop plants by Leone et 01. (1948). Our data suggest that almost all waters tested can be used for irrigation. The proposal of Leone ef al. (1948) may not be equally applicable to these waters of arid and semiarid regions where F toxicity is also associated with high salinity. A continuous use of such waters having toxic concentration of F is likely to adversely affect crop growth, as has been reported by Kanwar and Mehta (1968) for berseem in the Hansi tehsil of Hissar under field conditions. Paliwal er al. (1969) reported that on an average 7 mg I-’ of F along with Table
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The composition of water samples is given in Table 1. The F concentration in these waters varied from 0.2 to 3.2 mg 1-l with a mean value of 1.3 mg 1-l. The ranges and average values of F in Bah, Etmadpur, Fatehabad and Firozabad tehsils were 0.2-3.2; 1.7, 0.2-3.0; 1.2, 0.2-3.1; 1.1 and 0.2-3.0; 1.2mg 1-l respectively. Singh and Sinsinwar (1975) and Pal (1983) reported F concentration in Bharatpur (Rajasthan) and Agra (Uttar Pradesh) districts from trace to 18.4mgl-‘andtraceto21,0mgl-‘withmeansof1.3 and 6.8 mg I-’ respectively. No significant correlation between F with EC, 889
groundwater
I. Chemical
characteristics of underground region
Agra
Average
SD
8.9 3.0 26.9
7.4 0.3 3.0
8.1 I.2 6.5
0.6 1.3 3.1
K+
21.7 10.6 1.6
2.0 0.8 Tr
8.7 3.6 0.4
4.5 2.1 0.3
Anions (me I-‘) clso:CO;--HCO, F (mg I-’ B (mg I-‘)
8.4 I I.2 24.0 3.2 3.0
0.4 Tr Tr 0.2 0.1
1.7 I.3 9.8 I.1 0.7
I .4 I.5 5.1 0.6 0.6
Characteristics PH EC (dS m-r) SAR Carions (me I-‘) Na+ Ca’+ + Mg’+
Tr = traces.
Maximum Minimum
waters
890
VINAY
SINCH
an EC values of 6 dS m-’ (1 dS m-’ = 1000 ds m-‘; 1 dS m-’ = 1 mmho cm-‘) was detrimental to the growth of wheat. According to this criterion, all tested waters are safe and may be used for irrigating wheat.
REFERENCES
Galagan D. J. and Verrnillian J. R. (1957) Determining optumun fluoride concentrations. Publ. HIth Rep. Wash. 72, 491-493.
Kanwar J. S. and Mehta K. K. (1968) Toxicity of fluorine in some well waters of Haryana and Punjab. Indian J. agric.
Sci. 38, 881-886.
Leone L. A., Vermillian
E. G. and Daines R. R. (1948)
el al.
Some effects of fluorine in peach, tomato and buck wheat when absorbed through the roots. Soil Sci. 66, 259-266. Pal B. (1983) Potential hazards of nitrates and fluoride in underground waters. War. Rex 17, 353-354. Paliwal K. V., Mehta K. K. and Gandhi R. P. (1969) Fluorine in irrigation waters of Bhilwara district of Rajasthan. Indian J. agric. Sci. 39, 1083-1087. Richards L. A. ed (1954) Diagnosis and Improvement of Saline and Alkali Soils. Agric. Handbook No. 60, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Singh V. and Sinsinwar P. S. (1975) Note on the toxicity of fluorine in groundwaters of Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. Indian J. agric. Sci. 45, 495-497. Somani L. L., Gandhi A. P. and Paliwal K. V. (1972) Note on the toxicity of fluorine in well waters of Nagaur and Jaipur districts of Rajasthan. Indian J. agric. Sci. 42, 752-754.