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Fluoride Content of Bottled Drinking Waters in Qatar

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Abstract

Fluoridation of drinking water has been recognized as one of the most effective ways of achieving community-wide exposure to the caries prevention effects of fluoride (F). A vast majority of people in Qatar use bottled water for drinking. Use of bottled water without knowing the F level may expose children to dental caries risk if the F level is lower than optimal or to dental fluorosis if the F level is too high. The aim of this study was to determine the F concentration of bottled water available in Qatar. A total of 32 brands of bottled water were evaluated. The F concentrations displayed on the labels were recorded. The F ion-selective electrode method was used to measure the F concentration in water samples, and three measurements were taken for every sample to ensure reproducibility. The p value was set at 0.05. The F concentration ranged from 0.06 to 3.0 ppm with a mean value of 0.8 ppm (±0.88). The F levels were provided by the manufacturers on the labels of 60 % of the samples, but this was significantly lower than the measured F levels (p < 0.0001). Moreover, bottled water that was produced in Saudi Arabia had significantly higher levels of F when compared to those produced in other countries (p < 0.05). There was a wide variation in the F levels in the different brands of bottled water. Furthermore, there was a significant disparity between the F levels which were measured and those that were provided on the labels.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar

    Hessa Ibrahim Almulla

  2. School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

    Nigel M. King

  3. Itcan Dental Centre, Doha, Qatar

    Hamza Mohammad Alnsour

  4. KIMS Qatar Medical Centre, Abdulrahman Bin Jassim Al Thani Street, P.O. Box. 82125, Wakra, Qatar

    Anand K. Sajnani

Authors
  1. Hessa Ibrahim Almulla
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  2. Nigel M. King
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  3. Hamza Mohammad Alnsour
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  4. Anand K. Sajnani
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Correspondence to Anand K. Sajnani.

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Almulla, H.I., King, N.M., Alnsour, H.M. et al. Fluoride Content of Bottled Drinking Waters in Qatar. Biol Trace Elem Res 174, 471–476 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-016-0718-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-016-0718-z

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