Concentration levels of fluoride in bottled drinking water. 2003

Sissy A Johnson, and Christina DeBiase
Department of Dental Hygiene, West Virginia University Institute of Technology, Montgomery, West Virginia, USA.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to classify brands of bottled water by manufacturer assigned labeling to verify the concentration of fluoride for those brands that claim to contain fluoride, and to determine the existence and concentration of fluoride for those brands that do not cite fluoride or list it as undetermined on the product label. METHODS A convenience sample of bottled drinking waters (N = 65) sold throughout the state of West Virginia was obtained for this study. Among the 65 brands, six different types of water were identified based on common wording displayed on the package. A sample (150 mL) was taken from each brand of water. Each sample was analyzed using an Orion EA940 microprocessor which calculates the fluoride concentration of a given sample. All analyses of bottled waters were reported using an inorganic chemistry laboratory report. RESULTS Results, reported in frequencies and percentages, indicate that only 12.3% (N = 8) of the brands tested contained an optimal level of fluoride (0.6 to 1.2 parts per million); 95% of the bottled water analyzed did not list fluoride; 1.1% (N = 7) of the bottled waters analyzed were obtained from municipal sources; and of the sixty-five brands tested, only three brands contained a fluoride concentration consistent with that listed on the label or as identified by the manufacturer. CONCLUSIONS Several main points can be summarized: 1) solely drinking bottled water may not provide sufficient fluoride to maintain optimal dental health; 2) most bottled waters contain low concentrations of fluoride and therefore, in and of themselves are not a risk for fluorosis; and 3) bottled waters are named and packaged in a variety of ways; however, their composition is virtually the same.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008900 Mineral Waters Water naturally or artificially infused with mineral salts or gases. Mineral Water,Water, Mineral,Waters, Mineral
D002327 Cariostatic Agents Substances that inhibit or arrest DENTAL CARIES formation. (Boucher's Clinical Dental Terminology, 4th ed) Cariostatic Effect,Cariostatic Effects,Agent, Cariostatic,Agents, Cariostatic,Cariostatic Agent,Effect, Cariostatic,Effects, Cariostatic
D004326 Drinking The consumption of liquids. Water Consumption,Water Intake,Drinkings
D005459 Fluorides Inorganic salts of hydrofluoric acid, HF, in which the fluorine atom is in the -1 oxidation state. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed) Sodium and stannous salts are commonly used in dentifrices. Fluoride
D005515 Food Labeling Use of written, printed, or graphic materials upon or accompanying a food or its container or wrapper. The concept includes ingredients, NUTRITIONAL VALUE, directions, warnings, and other relevant information. Labeling, Food,Nutrition Labeling,Product Labeling, Food,Food Labelling,Food Product Labeling,Labeling, Food Product,Labeling, Nutrition,Labelling, Food
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014867 Water A clear, odorless, tasteless liquid that is essential for most animal and plant life and is an excellent solvent for many substances. The chemical formula is hydrogen oxide (H2O). (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed) Hydrogen Oxide
D014903 West Virginia State bounded on the north by Ohio, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, bounded on the west by Ohio and Kentucky, on the east and south by Virginia.

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