The first cases of endemic skeletal fluorosis, including its neurological manifestations, were documented in 1937 in Podili, Darsi, and Kanigiri areas of Prakasam district. Studies by Pandit and colleagues in 1940 revealed that fluoride levels in the affected water rarely exceeded 6 ppm. Despite World Health Organization guidelines, severe skeletal fluorosis occurred in these areas, attributed to factors such as tropical weather forcing increased water consumption, higher fluoride intake among farm laborers, and poor nutrition exacerbating fluoride toxicity. Studies in China and India confirmed the role of nutrition in fluorosis. Calcium deficiency, low magnesium, and inadequate vitamin C were identified as contributing factors, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to combat fluorosis.
Water Knows No Boundaries: Understanding the Layers of Water Risk and Community Response
Water moves across landscapes and institutions, but its risks have many layers: from geology to social systems. This note examines how contamination, governance, and local knowledge overlap, and how people-led monitoring, simple technologies, and district platforms can turn detection into durable action. Download the full PDF for the detailed findings and tools.
