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| Fluoride levels and its implications for health risk in drinking water in Anhui Province |
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Abstract Drinking water samples from 231 sites in Anhui Province of China were collected at random and its fluoride contents were investigated. Results indicated that the fluoride concentrations in drinking water ranged from 0.12 to 1.94mg/L with the mean value of 0.57mg/L. The order of the mean fluoride concentrations in drinking water was as follows: Huai-bei plain region (0.85mg/L) > Da-bie-shan mountainous region (0.42mg/L) ≈ Jiang-huai hill region (0.41mg/L) >plain along the Yangtze River (0.34mg/L)>Southern Anhui mountainous Region (0.24mg/L). The fluoride concentration in 61.85% of samples were less than 0.50mg/L, 24.89% of the samples were 0.51~1.0mg/L, 12.05% of the samples were 1.0~1.5mg/L, and only 1.21% of them were higher than 1.5 mg/L. The total fluoride intake from drinking water by local residents ranged from 0.26 to 4.3 mg per day supposing the consumption of 2.2 L water per day. Therefore, management of drinking water should be concerned to increase the fluoride in drinking water in Jiang-huai hill region, Da-bie-shan mountainous region, plain along the Yangtze River region and Southern Anhui mountainous region for controlling dental caries, and to reduce the fluoride in drinking water in Huai-bei plain region for decreasing endemic fluorosis.
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Received: 20 September 2009
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