Fluoride in Groundwater from High-Fluoride Areas of Ghana and Tanzania
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Fluoride in groundwater from high-fluoride areas of Ghana and Tanzania Groundwater Systems & Water Quality Programme Commissioned Report CR/02/316 ‘Minimising fluoride in drinking water in problem aquifers’ (R8033) Phase I Final Report BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY COMMISSIONED REPORT CR/02/316 Fluoride in groundwater from high-fluoride areas of Ghana and Tanzania ‘Minimising fluoride in drinking water in problem aquifers’ R8033. Phase I Final Report. P L Smedley, H Nkotagu, K Pelig-Ba, A M MacDonald, R Tyler- Whittle, E J Whitehead and D G Kinniburgh The National Grid and other Ordnance Survey data are used with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Ordnance Survey licence number GD 272191/1999 Key words Fluoride, groundwater, aquifer, health, fluorosis, water quality Front cover A young girl from central Tanzania (R. Tyler-Whittle, BGS). Bibliographical reference P L SMEDLEY, H NKOTAGU, K PELIG-BA, A M MACDONALD, R TYLER-WHITTLE, E J WHITEHEAD AND D G KINNIBURGH. 2002. Fluoride in groundwater from high-fluoride areas of Ghana and Tanzania. British Geological Survey Commissioned Report, CR/02/316. 72 pp. © NERC 2002 Keyworth, Nottingham British Geological Survey 2002 BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY The full range of Survey publications is available from the BGS Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG Sales Desks at Nottingham and Edinburgh; see contact details 0115-936 3241 Fax 0115-936 3488 below or shop online at www.thebgs.co.uk e-mail: [email protected] The London Information Office maintains a reference collection www.bgs.ac.uk of BGS publications including maps for consultation. Shop online at: www.thebgs.co.uk The Survey publishes an annual catalogue of its maps and other publications; this catalogue is available from any of the BGS Sales Murchison House, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3LA Desks. 0131-667 1000 Fax 0131-668 2683 The British Geological Survey carries out the geological survey of e-mail: [email protected] Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the latter as an agency service for the government of Northern Ireland), and of the London Information Office at the Natural History Museum surrounding continental shelf, as well as its basic research (Earth Galleries), Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London projects. It also undertakes programmes of British technical aid in SW7 2DE geology in developing countries as arranged by the Department for International Development and other agencies. 020-7589 4090 Fax 020-7584 8270 020-7942 5344/45 email: [email protected] The British Geological Survey is a component body of the Natural Environment Research Council. Forde House, Park Five Business Centre, Harrier Way, Sowton, Exeter, Devon EX2 7HU 01392-445271 Fax 01392-445371 Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, 20 College Gardens, Belfast BT9 6BS 028-9066 6595 Fax 028-9066 2835 Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB 01491-838800 Fax 01491-692345 Parent Body Natural Environment Research Council, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 1EU 01793-411500 Fax 01793-411501 www.nerc.ac.uk CR/02/316; Phase I Report Foreword This report is the product of a study by the British Geological Survey (BGS) as a part of the UK DFID-funded project ‘Fluoride in groundwater from high-fluoride areas of Ghana and Tanzania’, project code R8033. The report contains the results obtained for Phase I of the project and describes the work carried out during the interval August 2001 to December 2002. The report findings form the basis for the initiation of Phase II which is anticipated to be carried out during January 2003 to May 2004. The findings are therefore of an interim nature. Acknowledgements We would like to acknowledge the considerable help given by WaterAid staff in Accra, Ghana, notably by Gordon Mumbo and in Tabora, Tanzania, especially by Herbert Kashililah. Without this, the fieldwork and data collection in each country would not have been possible. We also acknowledge Kezia Mbwambo and Radhia Ideva for assistance with the fieldwork in Tanzania and Atenyose Ignatius Azoms (Ghana Water Co. Ltd) for assistance with fieldwork in Ghana. Chemical analysis of water samples in the BGS laboratories was carried out by Debbie Allen, George Darling, Sarah Hannay, Daniel Lapworth, Daren Gooddy and Janice Trafford. Help with the production of GIS maps has also been provided by Jenny Cunningham and Rose Hargreaves. i CR/02/316; Phase I Report Contents Foreword.........................................................................................................................................i Acknowledgements.........................................................................................................................i Contents..........................................................................................................................................ii Executive summary....................................................................................................................... 1 1 Introduction............................................................................................................................ 2 1.1 Water quantity and quality issues................................................................................... 2 1.2 Fluoride and its impact on health ................................................................................... 2 1.3 Fluoride standards and guidelines for drinking water .................................................... 3 2 Objectives of the project........................................................................................................ 4 3 Previous studies on fluoride in groundwater....................................................................... 6 3.1 Focus of research............................................................................................................ 6 3.2 Research findings...........................................................................................................6 4 WaterAid activities and collaboration ................................................................................. 7 5 Study areas.............................................................................................................................. 8 5.1 Northern Ghana..............................................................................................................8 5.2 Central Tanzania........................................................................................................... 12 6 Results ................................................................................................................................... 17 6.1 Ghana............................................................................................................................ 17 6.2 Tanzania........................................................................................................................ 24 6.3 General conclusions from Ghana and Tanzania........................................................... 34 7 Institutional and social factors............................................................................................ 35 7.1 Fluoride and water supply ............................................................................................ 35 7.2 The impact of fluorosis on communities ...................................................................... 36 8 In-project training................................................................................................................ 37 9 Conclusions and implications.............................................................................................. 37 9.1 Water quantity versus water quality ............................................................................. 37 9.2 Role of geology ............................................................................................................ 38 9.3 Preliminary guidelines.................................................................................................. 38 9.4 Decision point on Phase II............................................................................................ 39 9.5 Principal objectives and activities of Phase II.............................................................. 40 10 Reports and articles produced from the project ............................................................... 42 11 References ............................................................................................................................. 42 ii CR/02/316; Phase I Report Appendix 1 MSc student thesis plan.................................................................................... 45 1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 46 1.1 General introduction..................................................................................................... 46 1.2 Study area..................................................................................................................... 46 2 Statement of the research problem..................................................................................... 47 3 Objectives.............................................................................................................................. 47 4 Significance of the study ...................................................................................................... 48 5 Literature