Global Fluoride Occurrence, Available Technologies for Fluoride Removal, and Electrolytic Defluoridation: A Review

This review article is aimed at providing precise information on the global scenario of the intensity and severity of excess fluoride in drinking water and the efforts made by various investigators in the field of fluoride removal from drinking water. The fluoride levels in foodstuffs and edible items are also presented with a view to help effective fluorosis mitigation in fluoride-affected areas. The critical assessment of various available technologies for the removal of fluoride reveals that, among various available technologies, electrolytic defluoridation appears to be a promising alternative for the treatment and will go a long way toward providing safe drinking water in the fluoride-affected areas of developing countries like India. It provides a technically simple, cost-effective, and reliable system for supplying fluoride free drinking water. Thus, electrolytic defluoridation is a step in upgrading access to safe drinking water and reconsidering the way forward in light of the millennium development goals.