Fluoride in drinking water, brick tea infusion and human urine in two counties in Inner Mongolia, China.

The objective of this study was to detect the fluoride level in the drinking water and the urine of habitants aged 16-55 years living in Inner Mongolia China. Furthermore, fluoride concentration of the brick tea infusion samples which were drunk by Mongolia herdsmen in everyday life living in SumuErga village of Ejin Horo Banner, Inner Mongolia China was also determined. A total of 117 participants (61 female and 56 male) were recruited from two counties for a cross-sectional study on health effects of chronic fluoride exposure from drinking water and drinking brick tea infusion. The fluoride concentration in drinking water, urine and brick tea infusion samples were determined using fluoride ion selective electrode method obtained from the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China. The average fluoride concentration in drinking water samples was 0.32+/-0.01 mg/L at AretengXire town of Ejin Horo Banner, 0.70+/-0.19 mg/L at SumuErga village of Ejin Horo Banner, and 2.68+/-1.15 mg/L at ZhalaiNuoer district of Manzhouli city. The average fluoride concentration in brick tea infusion samples which collected from Mongolia herdsmen at SumuErga village of Ejin Horo Banner was 1.81+/-1.09 mg/L. The average urinary fluoride concentration at AretengXire town of Ejin Horo Banner was 0.59+/-0.48 mg/L, at SumuErga village of Ejin Horo Banner was 1.45+/-0.93 mg/L and at ZhalaiNuoer district of Manzhouli city was 3.06+/-1.53 mg/L. The higher fluoride levels in the urine of participants may be associated to higher fluoride in drinking water at ZhalaiNuoer of Manzhouli city. However, drinking brick tea infusions with higher fluoride may be the cause of the higher fluoride contents in the Mongolia herdsmen's urine.