| dc.description.abstract | The study assesses the influence of geology and geological structures such as faults, joints and
fractures on elevated fluoride levels in groundwater around Elementaita area, Nakuru County,
Kenya. It also documents defluoridation methods of water treatment in the area. The Elementaita
area is located in the central rift of Kenya within the geographical co-ordinates 35° 45' -36° 20' E,
1° 00' - 0° 15' N. The local geology lies in the Naivasha Elementaita-Nakuru watershed. It’s
characterized by the following rocks: Alluvium, reworked water lain sediments, Quaternary
lucustrine deposits, diatomite deposits, reworked sediments, tuffs, agglomerates and acid lava,
trachytes, rhyolites, comendite and obsidian. The area is dominated by faults and voluminous
fissural volcanic eruptions since Lower Miocene. The water catchment within the area is
composed primarily of basic volcanics. It experiences high fluoride level in its groundwater
which leads to major problems such as dental and skeletal fluorosis among its residents. Studies
have shown that the area’s geological and structural setup is responsible for the high fluoride
levels. High fluoride levels are common in deeply drilled boreholes than surface water. A
guideline value of maximum 1.5 ppm fluoride concentration in groundwaters is recommended by
World Health Organization (WHO). Several fluoride removal methods have been documented in
literature and are consequently applicable in the area of study. The project discusses the bone char
method and its applicability in the area of study. | en |
