title: Distance from source and fluoride concentrations in municipal water supply.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of fluoride in community water at the point of source, compared to the concentration delivered to various locations within the Las Vegas Valley, to determine if the levels of fluoride change over distance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten samples per week over an 8-week period were taken from four locations, totaling 320 samples. The first location included the water treatment facility where fluoride is added to the municipal water to bring the concentrations to the desired amount. The other locations included three residences at an increasing distance from the source of fluoridation. The 320 samples were submitted for fluoride analysis. Repeated-measure anova was used to compare the means between the four data points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The fluoride concentration data for the four test locations ranged from 0.73 to 0.89 mg/L. Mauchly's test of sphericity revealed no significant difference in the fluoride concentrations in Las Vegas from the point of source to distant locations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analysis of the collected data revealed that there was no statistical difference in the fluoride concentration in the Las Vegas municipal water supply from the source to the remote locations, and that distance does not affect fluoride concentration in the Las Vegas Valley municipal water supply.
authors.affiliation: Department of Growth, Development and Structure, Southern Illinois University, Alton, IL, USA. krawson@siue.edu
authors.forename: Kenneth G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Rawson
authors.forename: Marcia M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ditmyer
mesh_terms: D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D005459:Fluorides / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D009505:Nevada; D013997:Time Factors; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D005459:Fluorides