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Geochemical and Spatial Appraisal of Fluoride in the Soils of Indo‐Gangetic Plains of India Using Multivariate Analysis
Author(s) -
Jha Sunil K.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
clean – soil, air, water
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.444
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1863-0669
pISSN - 1863-0650
DOI - 10.1002/clen.201100157
Subject(s) - fluoride , soil water , cation exchange capacity , weathering , chemistry , environmental chemistry , alkalinity , soil ph , soil test , sodium adsorption ratio , mineralogy , dissolution , soil science , zoology , geology , agronomy , inorganic chemistry , geochemistry , organic chemistry , biology , irrigation , drip irrigation
The geochemical characteristics and the spatial distribution of the fluoride were studied in the soils of Indo‐Gangetic plains using multivariate analysis. The fluoride (F) distribution in soil profiles and surface soil (0–15 cm) samples were studied. It was found that total fluoride (TF) in the profiles ranged from 248 to 786 mg kg −1 with a mean of 515.1 mg kg −1 whereas CaCl 2 extractable soluble fluoride (F Ca ) was found to be in the range of 1.68 to 99.1 mg F kg −1 soil. On the other hand, in surface soils, the TF and F Ca ranged from 118 to 436 mg kg −1 with a mean of 251.2 mg kg −1 and 1.01 to 5.05 mg kg −1 with a mean of 2.12 mg kg −1 , respectively, in the study area. The principal component analysis revealed that the natural weathering of fluoride bearing rock and minerals, various ion‐exchange and dissolution processes in the soil, alkalinity, sodium adsorption ratio, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and clay contents of the soil are responsible for high fluoride occurrence in the area. The fluoride contamination index developed by using these factors could explain more than 76% variance of F contamination due to F Ca in soils. The interpolated kriged map of F Ca in surface soil indicated a distinct loop of 1.0–2.0, 2.0–3.0, 3.0–4.0, and >4.0 mg kg −1 .