[Study on the application of benchmark dose and biological monitoring indexes of fluorides in drinking water].
OBJECTIVE
By using Benchmark Dose (BMD) approach to explore the relations among drinking water fluoride, urine fluoride, serum fluoride and dental fluorosis; and to evaluate the significance of urine fluoride and serum fluoride in control and prevention of endemic fluorosis.


METHODS
512 children (290 in Xinhuai Village, 222 in Wamiao Village) aged 8-13 years were recruited in the study. Epidemiological methods were used to investigate the prevalence of dental fluorosis, and the levels of urine fluoride, serum fluoride, and drinking water fluoride in superficial well. The children were divided into six subgroups by the concentration of fluoride in drinking water: < 0.5 mg/L, 0.5-mg/L, 1.0-mg/L, 2.0-mg/L, 3.0-mg/L and > or = 4.0 mg/L.


RESULTS
There was significant dose-response relationship between the drinking water fluoride and the prevalence of dental fluorosis or the prevalence of defect dental fluorosis. The BMDLs (Benchmark Dose Lower Bound) were 1.01 and 1.30 mg/L, respectively. Urine fluoride and serum fluoride also had significant dose-response relationship to the prevalence of dental fluorosis or defect dental fluorosis. The correlation coefficient between drinking water fluoride and urine fluoride was 0.717, and it was 0.855 between drinking water fluoride and serum fluoride, and 0.617 between urine fluoride and serum fluoride.


CONCLUSIONS
The currently national standard of fluoride in drinking water in China is safe and reasonable. As a biological monitoring index, the levels of fluoride in serum may be more useful than that in urine in the control and prevention of endemic fluorosis.
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Quan-Yong
QY
Xiang
You-Xin
YX
Liang
Bing-Heng
BH
Chen
Cai-Sheng
CS
Wang
Shi-Qi
SQ
Zhen
Lian-Sheng
LS
Chen
Ming-Sheng
MS
Zhou
Jie-Fei
JF
Li
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D009050:Fluorosis, Dental / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards
D005459:Fluorides