Fluoride concentration in groundwater of the Jalisco Highlands, Mexico

Abstract

The main source for the drinking water supply in most of the administrative regions of the state of Jalisco (Mexico) is underground aquifers, which in many cases are hydrothermal origin, characterized by supply potentially harmful chemical compounds for human and animal consumption. The study area of this work is located in the northeast of the state of Jalisco, comprising 10 municipalities in two administrative regions. The objective of this study is to determine the trend of fluoride concentration in deep wells that supply drinking water to the municipalities of the study area, based on two evaluations carried out during the years 2021 and 2022. In the results it is possible to observe an increasing trend in the fluoride concentration of most of the wells analyzed in the periods studied, the highest concentrations are reported in the towns of Tepatitlan, Arandas, Mexticacan and San Miguel el Alto, as well as in the municipalities of Valle de Guadalupe and Canadas de Obregon, so that the intake of water from these areas represents a greater risk to the health of the local population, likewise an increasing trend in the concentration of fluorides in the groundwater extracted from the study area is ratified, one possible cause being the continuous decrease in the dynamic level of extraction that most of the wells evaluated. It is necessary to implement programs and strategies to guarantee the sustainability of this vital resource in this and other regions of the country.