Fluoride Toxicity in the Fluoride Endemic Villages of Gaya District, Bihar, India - Management of Natural Resources in a Changing Environment - page 273

to lose calcium (Susheela and Jain 1983 ), leading to deformed RBCs, called
echinocytes. Echinocytes are eliminated from the body leading to fall in haemo-
globin content in people facing chronic fl uoride toxicity. The fall in MCV, MCH and
MCHC suggests iron depletion or defi ciency. According to Susheela et al. ( 2010 ),
fl uoride ingestion may arrest the absorption of nutrients including orally adminis-
tered iron and folic acid and thus cause anaemia. Signifi cantly higher lymphocyte
counts were found in the children of F endemic area as compared to control. Higher
lymphocyte count in the peripheral blood has been reported in hyperthyroid animals
(Fowles et al. 1997 ) and humans (Jafarzadeh et al. 2010 ) suggesting that thyroid
hormones may have profound effects on the lymphopoiesis.

Conclusion

It was found that F contamination in the groundwater of Gaya region was due to
geogenic contamination. Consumption of F-rich water has resulted in the develop-
ment of dental, skeletal and non-skeletal fl uorosis. Although, water fi lters have been
installed by the Government, necessary action has to be taken to ensure the supply
of fl uoride-free water.

Acknowledgements We are grateful to UGC for the fi nancial support under the Major Project
Scheme and to Dr. Sister Doris D'Souza, Principal, Patna Women's College for providing the
necessary facilities.

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