Fluoride ingestion from drinking water by Nigerian children aged below 10 years.
OBJECTIVE
To determine daily fluoride ingestion from drinking water by Nigerian children aged below 10 years using two different methods of measurement.


METHODS
The mean daily water consumption by 314 children was determined and fluoride levels in drinking water sources measured in northern and southern zones of Nigeria. From the results, daily fluoride ingestion by the children was calculated.


RESULTS
The mean daily water consumption was 1.7 (SD0.4) litres in 1-3-year-olds and 2.6 (SD0.5) litres at age 7-9 years in the North; but the corresponding values were significantly lower in the South (p<0.05). However, the mean body weights of the children were significantly lower in the North (p<0.05), being 11.5 (SD 2.5) kg in 1-3-year-olds. The mean daily fluoride ingestion by children aged 1-3 years exposed to 0.7 ppm F (recommended for the tropics) was calculated to be 0.062 (SD0.023) mg/kg body weight in the South, and this is within the range of 0.04-0.07 mg/kg body weight generally regarded as appropriate. In contrast, ingestion of the ion by similarly aged children exposed to the same fluoride level in the north was higher than the threshold dose.


CONCLUSIONS
It is, therefore, concluded that exposure to drinking water containing recommended fluoride levels in the tropics (northern zone of Nigeria) could result in ingestion of a fluoride dose higher than the threshold that is generally regarded as appropriate.
Akpata
E S
ES
Department of Restorative Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait. akpata@hsc.kuniv.edu.kw
D001835:Body Weight; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D003217:Conductometry; D004326:Drinking; D004522:Educational Status; D005459:Fluorides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017736:Ion-Selective Electrodes; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education; D009549:Nigeria; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis
D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D005459:Fluorides