Limit excess fluoride, WHO urges

Source: WaterWeek staff

Use of low-cost solutions to limit worldwide exposure to excess levels of naturally occurring fluoride is urged in a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Asserting that millions of people around the globe drink water with elevated fluoride levels that can cause crippling skeletal fluorosis, the WHO drinking water quality report urges action to address what it calls an "unrecognized and neglected" global health problem.

The report, which details occurrence and health effects data from 28 countries, recognizes that removal technologies can be "difficult and expensive" and urges several low-cost methods that can be used effectively at the local level.

The reports describes the comparative benefits of using crushed clay pots, bone charcoal, contact precipitation, or activated alumina filters, calling in local authorities to "consider the causes of fluorosis carefully and choose the best and most appropriate means of dealing with excess fluoride exposure, taking into account the local conditions and sensitivities."