Finally, in our 48-h study, we found that bone surface fluo- ride concentrations increased sooner than those in the nails and that they did not decline as they did in nails. This suggests that fluoride accumulation on the periosteal surface of the femur is faster and less likely to change as a function of time. For these reasons, we believe that this region of the femur is probably a better biomarker to confirm exposure to large doses of fluoride.
Results
Of the 44 vendors who attended the farmers market, 40 (91 per cent) were contacted. Inclusion of their family members brought the total subjects to 82; of these, 22 (27 per cent) reported a characteristic illness on the day of the market. All had onset of symptoms between 8:30 and 10:30 am. Of those ill, nausea was reported by 16 and vomiting by 13. Other symptoms included headache (5), cramps (4), dizziness (3), and diarrhea (2). Duration of the illness ranged from 1-24 hou
The literature reveals several episodes of acute mass poisoning due to sodium fluoride which had been mistaken for flour, sugar, and baking powder and added to food [1]. The number of persons affected ranged from 5 to 280. The most severe accident -with 47 deaths occurred in Salem, Oregon, where a helper in the kitchen mistakenly had added 17 Ib of a roach powder containing 90% sodium fluoride to a 10-gal mixture of scrambled eggs. In other cases the doses of fluoride involved were estimated to
