Temporal changes in the fluoride levels of jaws of European deer in industrial regions of Western Pomerania, Poland.

The factories processing natural phosphates and apatites in Poland release into the atmosphere considerable amounts of fluorine compounds. Fluoride is known to accumulate in the hard tissues of animals and humans. This paper describes the determination of fluoride in mandibles of deer in the years 1982 and 1990. In recent years, the establishments have restricted their output and modernized the technology of phosphate fertilizer production. The fluoride content in jaws has decreased, particularly in those animals having their habitat in the vicinity of the two factories.