Fluoride poisoning

In high concentrations, as with almost all substances, fluoridecompoundsare toxic. 5 grams of full strength sodium fluoridewill kill most adult humans; a "certainly lethal dose" is estimated to be 32-64 fluoride mg per kilogram of body mass. Fatalities may occur, however, in some individuals at doses as low as 5 mg/kg.Symptoms of acute toxicity (e.g. gastrointestinal distress) have been reported to occur at doses as low as 0.1 to 0.3 mg/kg.

Poisoningmost commonly occurs following ingestion(accidental or intentional) of products that contain fluoride (e.g. pesticides, supplements, etc).

When ingested directly, fluoride compounds are readily absorbed by the intestines; over time, the compound is excretedthrough the urine, and the half-lifefor concentration of fluorinecompounds is on an order of hours. Fluoride is taken out of circulation by the body and trace amounts bound in bone. Urine testsare a good indication of high exposure to fluoride compounds in the recent past.

Skin or eye contact with many fluoride compounds (in high concentrations) is dangerous.

The only generally accepted adverse effect of low concentration water fluoridationat this time is dental fluorosis. It is a condition caused by 'excessive' intake of fluorine compounds over an extended period of time during the tooth development (before teeth erupt into the mouth), and can cause yellowing of teeth, hypothyroidism, or brittlingof bonesand teeth. The definition of 'excessive' in the context of fluorosis falls on the order of parts per million (ppm) and is generally accepted to mean significantly higher than the 0.7 to 1.2 ppm amounts recommended for fluoridated water. Fluoride in small amount is beneficial to teeth see Fluoride therapy.

Possible sources

The following is a list of possible sources of poisoning. Some of them have not been proven scientifically as the causes of poisoning, but they are still of interest because some people state they are. Historically, most cases of fluoride poisoning have been caused by accidental ingestion of insecticidesor rodenticides.

• Air pollution
• Anesthetics
• Antibiotics
• Automobile wheel-cleaning products
• Contaminated beverages and food products
• Dietary supplementsthat contain sodium fluoride
• Fluoridated milk
• Fluoridated salt
• Fluoridation of public water supplies
• Fluoridetablets
• Glass-etchingor Chrome-cleaningagents like ammonium bifluoride
• Groundwater pollution
• Household products
• Insecticidescontaining sodium fluoride
• Mattressesemitting fluoride gases
• Scotchgard
• Soyproducts
• Rodenticidescontaining sodium fluoride
• Tea
• Teflon
• Toothpasteor other oral dental products containing sodium monofluorophosphate
• Vaccinecontamination

Symptoms

Fluoride toxicity is characterized by a variety of signs and symptoms. Symptom onset usually occurs within minutes of exposure. Severity of symptoms can depend on the amount of fluoride compounds ingested.

Symptoms of fluoride poisoning point towards some kind of profound metabolic dysfunction, very similar to the symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Gastrointestinal

When poisoned by fluoride, gastrointestinal signs predominate.

• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Dysphagia
• Hypersalivation
• Mucosal injury
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Electrolyteabnormalities

• Hyperkalemia
• Hypocalcemia
• Hypoglycemia
• Hypomagnesemia

Neurologiceffects

• Headache
• Hyperactivereflexes
• Muscle weakness
• Muscular spasm
• Paresthesia
• Seizures
• Tetanic contractions
• Tremor

Cardiovascular

• Cardiac arrest
• Shock
• Widening of QRS
• Various arrhythmias

Method of action

Ingested fluoride initially acts locally on the intestinal mucosa. It can form hydrofluoric acid in the stomach, which leads to gastrointestinalirritation or corrosion. After ingestion, the gastrointestinal tract is the earliest and most commonly affected organ system.

Treatment

In case of accidental swallowing, give milk, calcium carbonateor milk of magnesiato slow absorption. Eye or skin contact should be treated by removing any contaminated clothing and flushing with water.

External Sites

• eMedicine article about Fluoride Toxicity by Geoffrey Nochimson, MD
• Fluoride Health Effects Database
• The Fight Against Fluoride
• Acute fluoride poisoning from a public water system. Gessner BD, Beller M, Middaugh JP, Whitford GM.
• Re-Examination of Acute Toxicity of Fluoride, by Kenji Akiniwa, Tokyo, Japan
• Website of the "Parents of Fluoride poisoned children" foundation
• [1]fluoride may be used reliably to reduce thyroid function. This is therapeutic with hyperthyroidism.
• [2]Since fluorides reduce thyroid function, the full list of conditions associated with hypothyroidism(177 conditions) is also present in fluoride poisoning.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoride+poisoning Wikipedia article Fluoride poisoning.