Drinking water quality and fluoride concentration

This paper aimed to analyze the fluoride concentration in drinking water, taking into account the balance between the benefits and risks to health, in order to produce scientific backing for the updating of the Brazilian legislation. Systematic reviews studies, official documents and meteorological...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Revista de saúde pública 2011-10, Vol.45 (5), p.964-973
Main Authors: Frazao, P, Peres, MA, Cury, JA
Format: Article
Language:Portuguese
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Summary:This paper aimed to analyze the fluoride concentration in drinking water, taking into account the balance between the benefits and risks to health, in order to produce scientific backing for the updating of the Brazilian legislation. Systematic reviews studies, official documents and meteorological data were examined. The temperatures in Brazilian state capitals indicate that fluoride levels should be between 0.6 and 0.9 mg F/l in order to prevent dental caries. Natural fluoride concentration of 1.5 mg F/l is tolerated for consumption in Brazil if there is no technology with an acceptable cost-benefit ratio for adjusting/removing the excess. Daily intake of water with a fluoride concentration > 0.9 mg F/l presents a risk to the dentition among children under the age of eight years, and consumers should be explicitly informed of this risk. In view of the expansion of the Brazilian water fluoridation program to regions with a typically tropical climate, Ordinance 635/75 relating to fluoride added to the public water supply should be revised.Original Abstract: O artigo visa analisar a concentracao de fluoreto na agua para consumo humano, considerando o balanco entre beneficios e riscos a saude, e produzir subsidios para atualizacao da legislacao brasileira. Estudos de revisao sistematica, documentos oficiais e dados meteorologicos foram examinados. As temperaturas nas capitals brasileiras indicam que o fluoreto deveria variar de 0,6 a 0,9 mg/L para prevenir carie dentaria. Concentracao de fluoreto natural de 1,5 mg/L e toleravel para consumo no Brasil se nao houver tecnologia de custo-beneficio aceitavel para ajuste/remocao do seu excesso. A ingestao diaria de agua com fluoreto em concentracao > 0,9 mg/L representa risco a denticao em menores de oito anos de idade e os consumidores deveriam ser expressamente informados desse risco. Considerando a expansao do programa nacional de fluoretacao da agua para regioes de clima tipicamente tropical, deve-se revisar a Portaria 635/75, relacionada ao fluoreto adicionado as aguas de abastecimento piiblico.
ISSN:0034-8910