FLUORIDE ACCUMULATION AND TOXICITY IN LABORATORY POPULATIONS OF WILD SMALL MAMMALS AND WHITE MICE

A laboratory experiment was conducted to compare the toxicological res ponse and metabolism of inorganic fluoride by three species of wild ma mmals and laboratory white mice (Mus musculus L.). The experimental po pulations of the wild species-the short-tailed field vole (Microtus ag restis L.), the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus L.) and the wood mo use (Apodemus sylvaticus L.)-were laboratory reared from wild stock, a nd all test animals were exposed to 0, 40 or 80 mu g F ml(-1) in their drinking water for up to 84 days, The 40 and 80 mu g F ml(-1) treatme nts induced premature mortalities in M. agrestis and C, glareolus only , Differential intakes, absorption and retention of fluoride were evid ent between M. musculus and M. agrestis, the two species subject to ca ge studies of fluoride metabolism budgets, Interspecific variation in accumulation of fluoride with time was also evident between all four s pecies as regards the femur, molars and incisors, Severe dental lesion s were apparent in species surviving the 80 mu g ml(-1) treatment for 84 days, Overall, however, there were few clear differences in inheren t species sensitivity to fluoride, the interspecific variation in meta bolism and accumulation rates being attributable mainly to variation i n intake.