Environmental fluoride content in Tibet.

Abstract

As the first report of the environmental fluoride level in Tibet, the determination by the fluoride ion-selective electrode method of fluoride concentration in water, soil, fuel, grains, food, vegetables, and tea was made for the Tibetan people living on various land types with various ecological characteristics. The average level of fluoride concentration in water in Tibet was 0.06 mg/L; the level of dissolved fluoride in the soil was 0.45 mg/kg; the fluoride concentration in main fuels was 0.10 mg/kg; the levels in main grains, food, and vegetables were 0.06-0.33 mg/kg; those in buttered tea and Zanba mixed with brick tea were 3.09-3.61 mg/kg; and water-dissolved fluoride concentrations in the brick tea produced in Sichuan Province and Yunan Province were 533.89-617.32 mg/kg. Tibet is the prevailing area of brick tea fluorosis.