Relationship of Fluoride Concentration to Well Depth in an Alluvial Aquifer in a Semiarid Area

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  • Groundwater of northern Mexico contains high concentrations of geogenic fluoride (F-), a contaminant known to affect human health. The origin of F- in groundwater in this region has been related to the weathering of rhyolite and other volcanic rocks present in the alluvium. However, the relationship of F- concentration to water depth has not been established. F- concentrations, pH, and total dissolved solids (TSD) were determined for 18 wells within the Meoqui-Delicias aquifer in 2021. The F concentrations varied between 0.62 mg L-1 and 4.84 mg L-1, and 61% of the wells exceeded the 1.5 mg L-1 guideline. F- concentrations did not correlate to TDS but correlated to well depth (r = -0.52, p < 0.05). Because of the less-than-strong correlation coefficient value obtained, a diagram of F- concentrations vs. well depth was constructed. The diagram showed a distinct enrichment of F- in shallow wells, suggesting that groundwater residence time and evaporation may be important factors in explaining the F- content within the aquifer. This pattern was confirmed after plotting 2003 and 2006 data for the same wells. These findings are important to better understand the distribution of F- in neighboring alluvial aquifers as well as in alluvial aquifers elsewhere.