Abstract
AbstractIn the present study 134 children were studied for comparison and correlation between an endemic fluorotic village Rukh Mudke (RM), n = 74, and a non-fluorotic village Ottawa (OTW), n = 60. The children were aged between 7-18 years and selected for the estimation of fluoride in their household water, body fluids (urine-serum), dental fluorosis and thyroid hormones (Free tri-iodothyronine (FT3) free tetra iodothyronine (FT4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) respectively. Mean concentration of water fluoride in subjects of RM was 4.6 ×106 ng/L, urine fluoride 2.59 ×106 ng/L, serum fluoride 6.0 ×104 and dental fluorosis 90.5% respectively. Significant elevation (P = 0.000) in the concentration of three out of these four variables (P < 0.01) was observed (except in serum fluoride) in subjects of RM compared to those in the control group (OTW). Mean FT4, FT3 and TSH concentrations in RM subjects was 18.3 pmol/L, 5.06 pmol/L and 3.2 mlU/L respectively. No marked difference in FT4 and FT3 (P = 0.17 and P = 0.7) was found compared to the control (OTW) group, while significant elevation in TSH (P < 0.05) was found in. 22% of the children in the RM group, portrayed well defined thyroid hormonal aberrations. A negative correlation between water fluoride - FT4 (r = - 0.24); a strong positive between water, urine, serum, dental fluorosis and TSH (r = 0.94, 0.87, 0.88, 0.74 and 0.8) and moderate correlation between water fluoride - FT3 (r = 0.52) was observed. Results of this study indicate that the fluoride intoxication through drinking water is not only increasing fluoride level in body fluids and deteriorating teeth but also destroying thyroid function in a large number of children.
Highlights
The problem of elevated levels of fluoride in groundwater is prevalent in many regions of Pakistan
The present analysis indicates the same high absorption of fluoride by calcified tissue with increase in ground water fluoride (r = 0.74, Figure 5): responsible for their unpleasant brown look which further causes teeth deterioration in early stages of life
It is obvious from the results that the concentration of fluoride in drinking water samples is higher than control samples
Summary
The problem of elevated levels of fluoride in groundwater is prevalent in many regions of Pakistan. It was very first recognized in Punjab by Wilson in 1941 in the town of Raiwind [1]. The problem of excessive fluoride in ground water is widespread throughout the world and approximately 200 million individuals among 25 countries are under the terrible providence of fluorosis including India, China, Sri Lanka, Spain, Italy, West Indies and America [3,4,5,6,7]. For example in India alone 21 states out of 29 and 65 million people including 6 million children are affected by fluorosis [8,9]. A large number of human activities increase fluoride in the environment, including chemical production plants, waste pools, production of aluminum, steel, glass, enamel, brick, tile, pottery, and cement, manufacture of fluoride containing chemicals, phosphate fertilizers and
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