Fluoride compounds: Health effects
Description
Fluorides are everywhere throughout the environment, but at very low levels that are not believed to be harmful. Small amounts of sodium fluoride help prevent tooth decay, but high levels may harm your health. In children whose teeth are forming, excessive fluoride levels may cause dental fluorosis with visible changes in the teeth. In adults, high fluoride over a long time may lead to skeletal fluorosis with denser bones, joint pain, and limited joint movement. This is rare. High levels of fluorine or hydrogen fluoride gas can cause muscle spasms, harm the lungs and heart and cause death. At low levels they can irritate the eyes, skin and lungs. Contact with hydrofluoric acid (even diluted) can burn the eyes (causing blindness) and skin, causing severe burns deep beneath the skin damaging internal tissues. This can occur hours after contact, even if no pain is initially felt. Contact with hydrofluoric acid happens mainly in the workplace. Long-term exposures may damage the kidneys and liver.
Entering the body
Fluoride compounds may enter the body by inhaling or ingestion.
Exposure
Workers in the industries that use or produce fluoride compounds are at greatest risk of exposure. Consumers are most likely to be exposed to fluoride compounds when using consumer products containing fluoride compounds; especially toothpaste or fluoride enhanced water. Residents in close proximity to production and processing facilities using fluoride compounds may also receive very low levels of fluoride esposure.
Health guidelines
Worksafe Australia:
For hydrogen fluoride the eight hour time weighted average (TWA) exposure limit is 2.6 mg/m3. Worksafe Australia reports this product causes severe burns, and is toxic by inhalation. For fluorine the eight hour time weighted average (TWA) exposure limit is 1.6 mg/m3.
Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (NHMRC and ARMCANZ, 1996):
Maximum of 1.5 mg/L (i.e. 0.0015 g/L).
Key
Links to an another web site
Opens a pop-up window
