Chemical hazards *
Jamie Bartram, Rachel Baum, Peter A. Coclanis, David M. Gute, David Kay, Stéphanie McFadyen, Katherine Pond, William Robertson, Michael J. Rouse in Routledge Handbook of Water and Health, 2015
Fluoride is widely distributed in the environment and found naturally in drinking water at low levels, generally between 0.01 and 0.3 mg/L (WHO, 2004). Other sources that contribute to fluoride can be anthropogenic in nature, such as smelters, industrial manufacturing and textile factories, fertilizer plants and burning of fluoride-rich coal (Ayoob and Gupta, 2006). Community water supply fluoridation programs were initiated for the prevention of tooth decay (Peckham and Awofeso, 2014). Paradoxically, there is a fine line between benefit and risk as research suggests concentrations up to 1 mg/L are beneficial for optimal dental health, but concentrations above 1.5 mg/L increase the risk of dental fluorosis. At higher concentrations and over long periods of fluoride exposure, more serious adverse health effects such as skeletal fluorosis may develop (Ayoob and Gupta, 2006).
Nutritional requirements
Judy More in Infant, Child and Adolescent Nutrition, 2021
Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel making it more resistant to attack by the acid produced by plaque bacteria. Frequent acid attack overtime causes in tooth decay. The two main sources of fluoride are toothpaste and tap water. Teeth should be cleaned twice a day using a fluoride-containing toothpaste:up to the age of 3 years – a smear of toothpaste containing 1000 ppm of fluoride;3–7 years – a pea-sized amount of toothpaste containing 1000 or 1350–1500 ppm of fluoride;from the age of 7 years – use toothpaste containing 1350–1500 ppm of fluoride.
Carbohydrates
Geoffrey P. Webb in Nutrition, 2019
The major effect of fluoride in preventing tooth decay is thought to be by its incorporation into the mineral matter of the tooth enamel; incorporation of fluoride into the calcium/phosphate compound hydroxyapatite to give fluorapatite renders the tooth enamel more resistant to demineralisation. This means that fluoride is most effective in preventing dental caries when administered to young children (under 5s) during tooth formation. Fluoride in relatively high doses also inhibits bacterial acid production and inhibits bacterial growth; it may concentrate in plaque to produce these effects at normal intake levels. Fluoride at low concentrations in the mouth decreases the process of demineralisation and increases the remineralisation (healing) of early carious lesions in the teeth.
Borassus flabellifer Linn haustorium methanol extract mitigates fluoride-induced apoptosis by enhancing Nrf2/Haeme oxygenase 1 –dependent glutathione metabolism in intestinal epithelial cells
Published in Drug and Chemical Toxicology, 2022
Joice Tom Job, Rajakrishnan Rajagopal, Ahmed Alfarhan, Arunaksharan Narayanankutty
Fluoride is a naturally occurring element, which usually presents in our drinking water at low levels. However, exposure to higher concentrations is known to cause deleterious health effects including dental and skeletal fluorosis in humans. The mechanistic basis of action includes the induction of enzyme inhibition and oxidative damages. Results indicated the cytotoxic effect of fluoride in cultured intestinal epithelial cells; the cytotoxicity has been mediated through the inhibition of catalase activity and intracellular glutathione depletion. Providing further insights, the glutathione biosynthetic enzymes such as GCS and GS are inhibited by the fluoride ions. Besides, the activity of glutathione reductase, which is an enzyme involved in the regeneration of oxidized glutathione, is also found to be reduced with fluoride exposure. The reduced activity of GCS, GS, and GR may be the possible reason for the reduced level of intracellular glutathione. Concomitantly, a significantly higher level of lipid peroxidation products has been observed in fluoride-treated cells. The results are in corroboration with previous reports, where oxidative stress and apoptosis induction has been evident (Lu et al.2017).
‘Drink clean, safe water and/or other fluids through-out the day even if you do not feel thirsty’: a food-based dietary guideline for the elderly in South Africa
Published in South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2021
Upasana Mukherjee, Carin Napier, Wilna Oldewage-Theron
The protective effect of fluoride in drinking water against dental caries is well known. Fluoride has three important functions in tooth health, namely it reduces and inhibits demineralisation, it remineralises teeth enamel where porous lesions appear and it prevents plaque formation by inhibiting bacterial metabolism of sugar.35 Tap water in SA is fluoridated and the ideal concentration of fluoride was established to be 0.7 mg/l (upper limit of 1.5 mg/l) as legislated by the Department of Health in 2003 (South African National Standard 241).36 Although topical fluoride application sources such as toothpaste, gels and fluoride-rich mouth rinses, as well as consumption of fluoride-rich teas and agricultural products can contribute to oral health, consumption of fluoridated drinking water is considered one of the most viable options for the prevention and reduction of dental caries prevalence.3
Royal jelly arranges apoptotic and oxidative stress pathways and reduces damage to liver tissues of rats by down-regulation of Bcl-2, GSK3 and NF-κB and up-regulation of caspase and Nrf-2 protein signalling pathways
Published in Biomarkers, 2023
Abdullah Aslan, Ozlem Gok, Seda Beyaz, Gozde Parlak, Muhammed Ismail Can, Ramazan Gundogdu, Serpil Baspinar, Ibrahim Hanifi Ozercan, Akif Evren Parlak
Fluoride (F) is extensively used in dentistry for the protection of caries. Excessive fluoride intake can reason side effects, particularly in hard tissues (bones and teeth). Fluoride is a very important chemical for dental, bone health and drinking water. The World Health Organization Guidelines stated that a fluoride ratio in drinking water ranging from 0.7 to 1.0 mg/L−1 is appropriate. However, many epidemiological studies have stated that excessive fluoride intake causes adverse effects on human health (WHO 2004). Receiving high doses of fluoride can also cause serious damage to soft tissues such as the liver, heart, kidney and muscle in animals. The liver plays an important role in oxidative detoxification. The most affected proteins in the liver following exposure to fluoride are those related to metabolism and energy regulation. Indeed, the change in energy metabolism was displayed to be directly related to oxidative stress (Silva Pereira et al. 2018). Animal studies have shown that low levels of fluoride exposure can affect liver protein expression and increase fat deposits in the liver. High fluoride exposure can cause cellular necrosis, oxidative stress to hypertrophic liver tissue and increased oxidative damage (Malin et al. 2019).
Related Knowledge Centers
- Fluorine
- Hydrogen Fluoride
- Hydroxide
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Reagent
- Sulfur Hexafluoride
- Chemical Formula
- Ion
- Trivial Name
- Preferred Iupac Name