Soil salinization and dental fluorosis as a result of water use in Zambia

KEyWORDS. — Soil Salinization; Soluble Salts; Water Use; Hot Springs; Dental Fluorosis; Zambia. SUMMARy. — Availability of water for agricultural and domestic use is a common problem in the drier part of Zambia (Southern Province), particularly in the hot dry months of August-October. During these dry periods when most seasonal water sources dry up, people depend on water from rivers or from deep wells. Irrigation of crops, needed in the dry season, often results in the accumulation of salts on the cultivated fields, inducing water stress, soil structure deterioration and compaction, and transforming large tracts of productive land into barren unproductive areas. In locations with hot springs, residents use water from the springs for their domestic requirements, livestock and irrigation of crops. The high prevalence of mottled teeth among residents is a case of endemic dental fluorosis associated with drinking water from hot springs containing concentrations of fluoride in excess of the World Health Organization (WHO) maximum guideline value. Children of small farmers are the main victims.