ENDEMIC FLUOROSIS IN SAN-LUIS-POTOSI, MEXICO .4. SOURCES OF FLUORIDE EXPOSURE

The high prevalence of dental fluorosis in San Luis Potosi (SLP) canno t be attributed only to the fluoride concentrations in drinking water. The present work was carried out to study fluoride levels in differen t kinds of beverages. This work assumes that these beverages were cont aminated with fluoride as a result of using water with high fluoride c ontent in their production. Different brands of bottled juice, bottled water and soft drinks were analyzed. Some brands showed higher fluori de levels than others. However, the most popular brands for bottled ju ice and bottled water were among those having the highest fluoride lev el. With these results, and applying the risk factor of boiling the wa ter (which increases the fluoride concentration in direct proportion t o the loss of volume), exposure doses to fluoride were estimated. The dose estimated for infants in SLP in their first semester of life was 0.31 mg/kg/day, and that for infants one year old was 0.26 mg/kg/day. These estimations agree well with the fact that infants born in SLP ar e heavily exposed to fluoride during the first year of their life. Als o, they explain the excessive prevalence of dental fluorosis in areas of SLP with low revels of fluoride in drinking water.