Sains Malaysiana 42(1)(2013): 115–121

Impact of Water Filters and Consumption of Bottled Water on Fluoride Intake

(Kesan Penapisan Air dan Penggunaan Air yang Dibotolkan terhadap Pengambilan Fluorida)

B.S. Tan*

School of Dentistry, International Medical University, 126, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19,

Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I.A. Razak

Vinayaka Missions International University College, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Received: 12 March 2012/Accepted: 13 September 2012

ABSTRACT

The objectives of this study were to assess the intake of fluoride among 4-5 years old children from drinking water (FH20) and whether current practises of use of water filters and consumption of bottled water have any impact on fluoride intake. A questionnaire survey was conducted to elicit details of drinking water in 350 children aged 4-5 years old. The intake of fluoride from drinking water over a period of two days was biochemically determined in a subsample of 200 subjects. The majority of children (97.0%) had access to tap water, 23.1% to filtered tap water and 11.3% reported use of bottled water. The use of filters was found to be associated with ethnicity and socio-economic status (p<0.00). The mean fluoride concentration of unfiltered and filtered tap water were 0.541 ± 0.167 and 0.534±0.192 ppm, respectively. The mean volume of water consumed was 1348.76±482.70 mL/day while the mean FH2O was 726.7 ± 357.5 ug/day. The use of filters and consumption of bottled water were sparse with no significant impact on FH2O over a two-day study period.

Keywords: Bottled water; fluoride intake; water filter

ABSTRAK

Tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk menilai pengambilan fluorida daripada air minuman (FH2O) serta sama ada amalan penggunaan penapis air dan pengambilan air yang dibotolkan mempunyai kesan terhadap pengambilan fluorida. Satu tinjauan soal selidik telah dijalankan untuk mendapatkan butiran air minuman dalam kalangan 350 kanak-kanak berumur 4-5 tahun. Pengambilan fluorida daripada air minuman telah ditentukan secara biokimia selama dua hari dalam subsampel seramai 200 subjek. Majoriti kanak-kanak (97.0%) mempunyai akses kepada air paip, 23.1% kepada air paip yang ditapis dan 11.3% melaporkan penggunaan air yang dibotolkan. Penggunaan penapis air didapati mempunyai kaitan dengan status etnik dan sosio-ekonomi (p< 0.00). Kepekatan purata fluorida di dalam air paip tidak ditapis dan ditapis ialah 0.541 ± 0.167 dan 0.534 ± 0.192 ppm. Isi padu purata air yang diminum ialah 1348.76 ± 482.70 mL/hari manakala purata FH2O yang diambil ialah 726.7±357.5 ug/hari. Penggunaan penapis air dan pengambilan air yang dibotolkan jarang diamalkan dan tidak mempunyai kesan yang signifikan terhadap FH2O sepanjang tempoh kajian selama dua hari.

Kata kunci: Air yang dibotolkan; pengambilan fluorida; penapis air

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*Corresponding author; email: beesiew_tan@imu.edu.my