Dental Fluorosis in Wild Deer: Its Use as a Biomarker of Increased Fluoride Exposure

The relationships between age (range: 3 to 14 yr), mandibular bone fluoride level (marker of accumulated internal dose, range: 597 to 4680 mg F^- kg^-1> dry wt) and intensity of dental fluorosis (reflecting fluoride exposure during enamel formation) were studied in a sample of 53 fluorosed red deer from a fluoride-polluted area in the Czech-German border region (Ore mountains and their southern foreland). Assessment of the severity of dental fluorosis was performed for the 3 permanent premolars and 3 molars of one hemimandible per animal by using an ordinal measurement scale. For statistical analysis, the maximum tooth score of fluorosis (MTS) and the dental lesion index of fluorosis (DLI, sum of the six tooth scores per individual) were used. In the sample, both MTS (r_s = 0.850) and DLI (r_s = 0.813) were highly significantly (p <0.00001) correlated with bone fluoride content. A weaker correlation existed between age and bone fluoride content (r_s = 0.322, p <0.05). The results demonstrate that in case of regional, long-term fluoride pollution, dental fluorosis (measured as MTS or DLI) can be used as a sensitive biomarker of fluoride exposure in deer and thus as an indicator of the level of environmental contamination by fluorides. In many countries, skulls and mandibles of wild deer are regularly and continuously collected by hunters. Assessment of the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis in this material offers the opportunity for an efficient large-scale biomonitoring of environmental pollution by fluorides at very low cost.     

Fluoride Concentration in Drinking Water of Karachi City (Pakistan)

The ground and municipal water supply samples of Karachi city were analyzed for their fluoride contents. The fluoride contents in water samples collected from the subsurface and river sources were found below the WHO recommended value for the general health of the people. However, in some industrial areas the groundwater sample showed higher level of fluoride concentration. Continuous monitoring of water resources and cautious fluoridation is suggested to maintain proper status of fluoride concentration in the drinking water.     

Groundwater Quality Assessment of Tehsil Kheragarh, Agra (India) with Special Reference to Fluoride

Fluoride concentration and other parameters in groundwater from 261 villages in Tehsil Kheragarh of District Agra were assessed and attempts were made to observe the relationship between fluoride and other water quality parameters. Of 658 groundwater samples (collected from separate sources) analysed for fluoride, 27% were in the range of 0–1.0 mg/L, 25% in 1.0–1.5 mg/L, 32% in1.5–3.0 mg/L and 16% above 3.0 mg/L. The highest fluoride concentration recorded was 12.80 mg/L. Significant correlation of fluoride with pH, alkalinity, Na, SiO₂ and PO₄ were observed. Factor analysis was also attempted in order to identify the contributing sources.