Health risk assessment of fluoride exposure due to groundwater consumption in Romania

Fluoride has both beneficial and detrimental effects on human health. Concentrations of fluoride less than 1.0 mg/L in ingested water are beneficial for the rate of tooth decay, especially in children. The aims of the paper are as follows: (i) to monitor fluoride concentrations in drinking water samples (well water and tap water from the rural district of Valea Ramnicului, Romania); (ii) to study and select the optimal buffer solution and the optimal volume used in the analyses and (iii) to validate the potentiometric method for determining fluoride ions with a selective ion electrode. The values of fluoride ion concentrations in the groundwater samples and in tap water varied from 0.01 to 0.138 mg / L. The values for the hazard quotient for the studied samples varied from 0.01 to 0.13.

Automated summary

This study aimed to monitor the fluoride ion concentrations in drinking water samples from rural areas of Romania and validate the potential method for determining fluoride ions. The results showed that the concentrations of fluoride ions in groundwater and tap water were within acceptable ranges, which are beneficial for preventing tooth decay.