FLUORIDE’S SPATIALITY ON GROUNDWATER FROM RIO DAS CINZAS’S WATERSHED NORTHERN PORTION: A GUIDING OF ABNORMAL FLUORINE EXTENSION AND ITS POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON ORAL HEALTH

Abstract

In adequate proportions Fluoride has a preventive-therapeutic use to control the development of dental cavities, which is considered an important public health strategy, however, the consumption of levels above the established parameters can lead to side effects such as dental fluorosis. This article’s goal is to amplify the knowledge about fluoride levels in groundwater used for consumption in fourteen cities around the Northern portion of Rio das Cinzas’s watershed- PR by taking samples from tube wells. Chemical and spatial analysis revealed areas that were particularly hyper fluoridated (> 0.8 mg / L) in continuous spaces (abnormal fluorine belts), areas of adequate concentration (0.6 - 0.8 mg / L) and under fluoridated (< 6 mg / L), that are naturally ineffective regarding the control of dental cavities. In conclusion, there’s a need of continuous surveillance on public water provision by its official department regarding fluoride levels and an emphatic look at the side effects which were observed in the resident population related to these levels.