Analysis on the prevention and treatment of drinking water fluorosis Guide county, in Qinghai province

Objective To observe the state of endemic flurosis, construction and running status of water improvement projects in order to provide a scientific basis for prevention and treatment fluorosis. Methods Water samples of the diseased and nondiseased villeges were collected from east, west, south, north and centre of each villege in 2005, and fluoride concentration was determined for each surveyed village with unimproved-water. At the same time, all the tap water and source water samples were collected to determine fluoride concentration in each water-improved village surveyed. In 2008, all the endemic fluorosis villages in Guied county were divided into slight, medium and heavy types according to the water fluoride content before water improved, and 1,1,3 survey villages were chosen from each type. In all of the village children aged 8 to 12 years were tested for dental fluorosis by Dean method. Six copies of the urinary fluoride were sampled in different age groups. The fluorine content in water and urine was determined by F-ion selective electrode. The situation of clinical skeletal fluorosis of adults over 16 years of age was investigated, 20 adults (evenly divided between men and women) in the villages of medium and heavy types were examined by X-ray for skeletal fluorosis. Results In 3 village fluoride content of drinking water exceeded the national drinking water standards ( <1.0 mg/L) of 85 surveyed villages with improved-water. Among the 16 projects, 8 were intermittently running and 3 were retired, leaving only 31.25% of the projects active. Theprevalence of enamel fluorosis was 41.13%( 116/282), that of skeletal flurosis was 47.95%(969/2021) and that of X-ray checked was 20.73% (17/82). The median of urine fluoride was 1.06 mg/L and the scope was 0.20 - 9.44 mg/L.Conclusions Most of the improved-water projects do not normally supply water in the disease ward of Guide county. Therefore, there is an increasing trend of the disease, so further control measures are needed. Key words: Drinking; Improved-water project; Fluorosis, dental; Osteofluorosis; Epidemiology