FluorineNB: We are somewhat concerned that an Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals is considering fluorine. Are they going to deliver a RDI??!!
Analytical measurements were made on the concentration of the fluoride ion, after treating samples to convert any fluorine present, in whatever form, into the fluoride ion. The results have been reported in terms of total fluorine in the food samples. The method does not provide any information on which fluorine-containing compounds were present in the foods.
The highest average fluorine concentrations were found in the Fish group (1.9 mg/kg), the Beverages group (1.1 mg/kg) and the Oils and fats group (0.52 mg/kg). The lowest average fluorine concentration of 0.05 mg/kg was found in the Milk, Other vegetables and Green vegetables groups (Table 2).
The concentrations above are generally lower than those in similar food groups reported by MAFF in 1984 for selected samples from Total Diet Studies in 1978,1979 and 1980.21 However, it should be noted that prior to 1981, individual food items in the TDS were combined into only 9 food groups compared with 20 food groups in TDSs from 1981 onwards. This means that direct comparisons cannot be made between results for samples from TDSs before 1981 with those from subsequent years.
There is no evidence from these results of a relationship between the fluorine concentrations in the samples from this study and whether or not the drinking water supply in the area from which the samples were collected is fluoridated. This is as expected since the foods making up the TDS samples may not have been produced in the town in which they were purchased. In addition, TDS samples are prepared centrally using deionised water with a negligible fluoride content, so the fluorine levels found in the TDS samples will not reflect any contribution from the use of drinking water which would take place in domestic food preparation by consumers. This is considered further below.
Fluorine in drinking water
Drinking water can also be a significant source of exposure to fluorine. Most of the drinking water in the UK contains naturally occurring fluorine present at concentrations of lower than 0.7 mg/l. The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 set a limit of 1.5 mg/l of fluoride in drinking water. About 10 per cent of the UK population receive drinking water that has been fluoridated to levels of 1 mg/l. The average consumption of drinking water in the UK is about 1 litre/day, and for high-level consumers such as those drinking a lot of tea, about 2 litres day. If it is assumed that this water is from a fluoridated supply, this would result in an additional exposure to fluorine from drinking water of 1 mg/day for average consumers and 2 mg/day for high-level consumers.
Implications for consumers
The estimated exposures to halogens were considered by the Chief Medical Officer for England's advisory committee, the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT). It concluded that the estimated exposures to bromine and iodine are unlikely to pose a risk to health. It also commented that information on the chemical forms of these elements in food would assist in risk assessment. The Committee will consider the estimated exposures to fluorine when the findings of a review of fluorine by the Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals are available. The COT's full statement on this survey is given in Annex 1.
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