Abstract
Consumption of unusually high concentrations of F(-) in groundwaters of the Maria area in the Gaspé peninsula of Quebec have resulted in symptoms of skeletal fluorosis in two members of the population. One of these individuals consumed approximately 50 mg of fluoride per day over a 6 year period before being hospitalized and later diagnosed with skeletal fluorosis. It is estimated that, until this case came to light, approximately 15-20% of the rural population (total approximately 1,600) in the area were consuming groundwaters with F(-) levels between 5 and 28 mg L(-1) for at least 6 years. The high concentrations of F(-) in well waters of the Maria area occur only in wells completed in Carboniferous sandstone-siltstone-conglomerate sediments that underlie a thick blanket of alluvial-colluvial-glacial overburden. These fluoriferous groundwaters exhibit high Na and HCO3 (-) contents and low Ca and Mg concentrations compared to those associated with the overburden sediments. The high F levels greatly increase the risk for fluorotic diseases such as skeletal fluorosis and skeletal radiculomyopathy. Wells completed in overburden, although having suboptimal F(-) levels are safer for the health of individuals in this region. Effective regulations for well drilling need to be formulated for regions underlain by Carboniferous formations in the Maritime provinces of Canada. In some regions, high F(-) levels (10-25 mg L(-1)) in groundwaters will seriously affect how, and to what extent, groundwater supplies can be developed for domestic use.
-
-
Fluoride-induced chronic renal failure
Renal fluoride toxicity in human beings is difficult to assess in the literature. Although experimental studies and research on methoxyflurane toxicity have shown frank renal damage, observations of renal insufficiency related to chronic fluoride exposure are scarce. We report a case of fluoride intoxication related to potomania of Vichy water,
-
Recovery from skeletal fluorosis (an enigmatic, American case)
A 52-year-old man presented with severe neck immobility and radiographic osteosclerosis. Elevated fluoride levels in serum, urine, and iliac crest bone revealed skeletal fluorosis. Nearly a decade of detailed follow-up documented considerable correction of the disorder after removal of the putative source of fluoride (toothpaste). INTRODUCTION: Skeletal fluorosis, a crippling bone
-
A report of fluorosis in the United States secondary to drinking well water
A 54-year-old female resident of Wellston, Okla, was found to have osteosclerosis on a routine chest roentgenogram. Subsequent investigation disclosed the cause of her osteosclerosis to be fluorosis secondary to the ingestion of well water containing 429 mumol/L of fluoride (recommended levels, 11 to 58 mumol/L). Water samples were also obtained from
-
Skeletal fluorosis due to excessive tea and toothpaste consumption
We describe the case of a 53-year-old woman who presented with a metatarsal fracture and was found to have a bone mineral density (BMD) T-score of +11 in the lumbar spine and +7.6 in the hip. Subsequent investigation revealed very high serum, urine and tissue fluoride levels, associated with excessive
-
Effects of fluoride toxicity on animals, plants, and soil health: a review.
Substantial multi-disciplinary efforts have been made to investigate the effects of environmental fluoride ion (F) pollution since the last century. The chronic ingestion of high doses of F may adversely affect human health by causing skeletal fluorosis, dental fluorosis, bone fractures, the formation of kidney stones, decreased birth rates, weakening
Related Studies :
-
-
-
Skeletal Fluorosis: The Misdiagnosis Problem
It is a virtual certainty that there are individuals in the general population unknowingly suffering from some form of skeletal fluorosis as a result of a doctor's failure to consider fluoride as a cause of their symptoms. Proof that this is the case can be found in the following case reports of skeletal fluorosis written by doctors in the U.S. and other western countries. As can be seen, a consistent feature of these reports is that fluorosis patients--even those with crippling skeletal fluorosis--are misdiagnosed for years by multiple teams of doctors who routinely fail to consider fluoride as a possible cause of their disease.
-
"Pre-Skeletal" Fluorosis
As demonstrated by the studies below, skeletal fluorosis may produce adverse symptoms, including arthritic pains, clinical osteoarthritis, gastrointestinal disturbances, and bone fragility, before the classic bone change of fluorosis (i.e., osteosclerosis in the spine and pelvis) is detectable by x-ray. Relying on x-rays, therefore, to diagnosis skeletal fluorosis will invariably fail to protect those individuals who are suffering from the pre-skeletal phase of the disease. Moreover, some individuals with clinical skeletal fluorosis will not develop an increase in bone density, let alone osteosclerosis, of the spine. Thus, relying on unusual increases in spinal bone density will under-detect the rate of skeletal fluoride poisoning in a population.
-
Fluoride & Osteoarthritis
While the osteoarthritic effects that occurred from fluoride exposure were once considered to be limited to those with skeletal fluorosis, recent research shows that fluoride can cause osteoarthritis in the absence of traditionally defined fluorosis. Conventional methods used for detecting skeletal fluorosis, therefore, will fail to detect the full range of people suffering from fluoride-induced osteoarthritis.
-
X-Ray Diagnosis of Skeletal Fluorosis
In 1937, Kaj Roholm published his seminal study Fluorine Intoxication in which he described three phases of bone changes that occur in skeletal fluorosis. (See below). These three phases, which are detectable by x-ray, have been widely used as a diagnostic guide for detecting the disease. They describe an osteosclerotic bone disease that develops first in the axial skeleton (the spine, pelvis, and ribs), and ultimately results in extensive calcification of ligaments and cartilage, as well as bony outgrowths such as osteophytes and exostoses. Subsequent research has found, however, that x-rays provide a very crude measure for diagnosing fluorosis since the disease can cause symptoms and effects (e.g., osteoarthritis) before, and in the absence of, radiologicaly detectable osteosclerosis in the spine.
-
Skeletal Fluorosis in India & China
In India and China, scientists have repeatedly found that skeletal fluorosis occurs in populations drinking water with just 0.7 to 1.5 ppm fluoride. Although nutritional deficiencies and hot climates make populations in India and China more susceptible to fluoride toxicity than is generally the case in western countries, this fact does not remove the relevance of the Indian and Chinese experience to the situation in fluoridating countries. This is because (a) nutritional deficiencies also exist in the western world, particularly in low-income communities, and (b) some individuals, including those with kidney disease, can be just as -- if not more -- susceptible to fluoride toxicity.
Related FAN Content :
-