Fluoride is the negative ion of the element Fluorine (a chemical element with Molecular Formula F and atomic number 9).

Fluorine plays a very important role in the human body as a bone fortificator and it is considered one of the essential elements for the maintenance of the normal cellular processes in the organism. It is largely employed in dentistry to control dental caries. 

 However, the over-accumulation of F– causes fluorosis, which has symptoms like skeletal embrittlement and hepatic damage, including endocrine disorder, abnormal calcium accumulation, and teeth staining (1).

In the labels of Italian mineral waters the content of fluorine is established by Decreto 11/9/2003 art 1: natural mineral waters, whose fluorine concentration is higher than 1.5 mg / L, must show the following indication on the label: «Contains more than 1.5 mg / L of fluorine: regular consumption by infants and children under the age of seven is not appropriate»

Many studies have shown that exposed to high fluoride concentrations in drinking water elevated the levels of renal and liver function enzymes in serum and cause severe histological changes of the liver and kidneys (2).

Accumulation of excess fluoride in the environment poses serious health risks to plants, animals, and humans. This endangers human health, affects organism growth and development, and negatively impacts the food chain, thereby affecting ecological balance. In recent years, numerous studies focused on the molecular mechanisms associated with fluoride toxicity. These studies have demonstrated that fluoride can induce oxidative stress, regulate intracellular redox homeostasis, and lead to mitochondrial damage, endoplasmic reticulum stress and alter gene expression. This paper reviews the present research on the potential adverse effects of overdose fluoride on various organisms and aims to improve our understanding of fluoride toxicity (3).

Molecular Formula : F-

Molecular Weight : 18.998

CAS : 16984-48-8

Synonyms :

AC1L1ES7, AKOS015903717, CHEBI:17051, CHEMBL1362, Fluoride ion, Perfluoride

References___________________________________

(1) Neurobehavioural effects of developmental toxicity.  Grandjean P, Landrigan PJ  Lancet Neurol. 2014 Mar; 13(3):330-8.

(2) Zhan X, Wang M, Xu Z, Li J. Toxic effects of fluoride on kidney function and histological structure in young pigs. Fluoride. 2006;39(1):22–26

(3) Toxic effects of fluoride on organisms.  Zuo H, Chen L, Kong M, Qiu L, Lü P, Wu P, Yang Y, Chen K.  Life Sci. 2018 Apr 1;198:18-24. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2018.02.001. Epub 2018 Feb 9. Review.