Review on Defluoridation Techniques of Water

-------------------------------------------------------Abstract--------------------------------------------------------Fluoride is often described as a ‘double-edged sword’ as inadequate ingestion is associated with dental caries, where as excessive intake leads to dental, skeletal and soft tissue fluorosiswhich has no cure. Considering the fact that fluorosis is an irreversible condition and has no cure, prevention is the only solution for this menace. Providing water, with optimal fluoride concentration is the only way by which the generation yet to be born can be totally protected against the disease. Defluoridation was the conventional and widely tested method for supplying safe water to the fluorosis affected communities. Various techniques and materials were tried throughout the world for defluoridation of water. Defluoridation techniques can be broadly classified in to four categories; Adsorption technique, Ion-exchange technique, Precipitation technique, and Other techniques, which include electro chemical defluoridation and Reverse Osmosis. This paper discusses various defluoridation techniques used across world and current status of defluoridation in India.