Abstract
The fluoride (F), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and phosphorus (P) content in potable water and food samples (cereals, pulses, and vegetables) from endemic and nonendemic villages for fluorosis were analyzed. It was found that the F content in water was significantly higher (p<0.01) in endemic villages (4.20±1.6 ppm) than control villages (0.63±0.15 ppm), whereas the Ca, Cu, and Mg contents were found to be significantly lower (p<0.05) in endemic villages compared to control villages. However, there was no significant difference in Zn and P contents between the villages. Foods (cereals, pulses, and vegetables) grown in endemic villages contained significantly higher (p<0.01) fluoride content as compared to control villages. There was no significant difference in Ca, Mg, P, and Zn contents in food grown in endemic and control villages. Copper content in cereals (p<0.05), pulses (p<0.01), and vegetables (p<0.01) in endemic villages was found significantly higher as compared to control villages. The overall prevalence of dental fluorosis in six endemic villages was 97.4% in boys and 96% in girls, which was significantly higher (p<0.01) than that of control villages, where it was 10.5% in boys and 8.3% in girls. The prevalence of dental fluorosis was positively correlated (r=0.125, p<0.01) to fluoride and negatively correlated to Ca and Cu content in drinking water in endemic villages.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
C. J. Muhler and G. D. Harry, Effect of stannous fluoride in drinking water on caries prevention in rats on high sucrose and coarse corn diets, J. Nutr. 44, 413–422 (1951).
F. J. McClure, H. G. McCann, and N. C. Leone, Excessive fluoride in water and bone chemistry, Public Health Rep. 73, 741–746 (1958).
G. Karthikeyan, A. Pius, and B. V. Appa Rao, Contribution of fluoride in water and food to the prevalence of fluorosis in area of Tamil Nadu in South India, Fluoride 29, 151–155 (1996).
N. Laxmaiah and S. G. Srikantia, Fluoride retention in humans on sorghum and rice based diets, Indian J. Med. Res. 65, 543–548 (1977).
S. P. S. Teotia, M. Teotia, U. K. Rohatgi, et al., Endemic skeletal fluorosis and metabolic bone disease, J. Indian Med. Assoc. 63, 207–213 (1974).
A. Anasuya, S. Bapurao, and P. K. Paranjpe, Fluoride and silicon content of foods from normal and endemic fluorotic areas in India, J. Food Composition Anal. 10, 43–48 (1977).
H. J. Griffith, R. D. Hunt, R. E. Zimmerman, et al., The role of calcium and fluoride in osteoporosis in Rhesus monkey, Invest. Radiol. 10, 263–268 (1975).
R. B. Rucker, R. S. Riggins, R. Laugglin, et al., Effect of nutritional copper deficiency on the biochemical properties of bone and arterial elastin metabolism in the chick, J. Nutr. 105, 1062–1067 (1975).
K. A. V. R. Krishnamachari Further observations on the syndromes of endemic genu valgum of South India, Indian J. Med. Res. 64, 284–293 (1976).
H. T. Dean, Classification of mottled enamel dignosis, J. Am. Dent. Assoc. 21, 1421–1427 (1934).
J. Tusl Direct determination of fluoride in human urine using fluoride electrode, J. Clin. Chem. Acta 27, 216–218 (1970).
A. E. Villa, Rapid method for determining fluoride in vegetation using an ion selective electrode, Analyst 104, 545–551 (1979).
AOAC Estimation of Minerals in Water, 16th ed., chap. 4, p. 11, (1995).
S. S. Jolly, H. Lal, and R. Sharma, Trace elements in endemic fluorosis in Punjab, Fluoride 13, 49–50 (1980).
S. Gupta, U. Mehta, and A. Singh, Fluoride content of Indian toothpastes and selected food items, Fluoride 23, 113–116 (1991).
W. Oeschlager, Fluoride in food, Fluoride 3, 6–11 (1970).
S. P. S. Teotia, K. B. Kunwar, and M. Teotia, Metabolic studies on skeletal fluorosis with a new approach to its treatment (preliminary report), Fluoride 2, 142–148 (1969).
M. Teotia, S. P. S. Teotia, and K. B. Kunwar, Endemic skeletal fluorosis, Arch. Dis. Child. 46, 686–692 (1971).
Z. K. Raughead and H. C. Lukasld, Inadequate copper intake reduces serum insulin-like growth factor-I and bone strength in growing rats fed graded amount of copper and zinc, J. Nutr. 133, 42–448 (2003).
S. P. S. Teotia and M. Teotia, Secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with endemic skeletal fluorosis, Br. Med. J. 1, 636–640 (1973).
S. S. Jolly, B. M. Singh, O. C. Mathur, et al., Epidemiological, clinical and biochemical study of endemic dental and skeletal fluorosis in Punjab, Br. Med. J. 4, 47–51 (1968).
S. S. Jolly, I. D. Singh, S. Prasad, et al., An epidemiological study of endemic fluorosis in Punjab, Indian J. Med. Res. 57, 1333–1347 (1969).
G. E. Pandit, T. N. S. Raghavachari, D. S. Rao, et al. Endemic fluorosis in South India. Study of factors involved in production of mottled enamel in children and severe bone manifestation in adults, Indian J. Med. Res. 28, 533–558 (1940).
Y. Ericsson, Absorption of fluorides, WHO Monograph on Fluorides and Human Health, WHO, Geneva, p. 76 (1970).
D. A. Waddle and J. C. Muhler, The metabolism of different fluorides in the rat, J. Dent. Res. 36, 386–390 (1957).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bhargavi, V., Khandare, A.L., Venkaiah, K. et al. Mineral content of water and food in fluorotic villages and prevalence of dental fluorosis. Biol Trace Elem Res 100, 195–203 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1385/BTER:100:3:195
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/BTER:100:3:195