2 Anions in water
There are several anions commonly present in water that require monitoring and management to avoid harm to human health and the environment as you saw in Table 1 and Activity 1. For example, fluoride is important in dental health as it forms a coating of the mineral fluorapatite on teeth which resists decay. However, if levels of fluoride are too high in drinking water then health problems may result. You will also study here nitrate, arsenate, and phosphate.