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Article

Mapping the Environmental Risk of Fluoride Exposure of Drinking Water in a Community of Zacatecas, Mexico

by
Mónica Imelda Martínez-Acuña
1,*,
Humberto Reyes-Hernández
2,
Sergio A. Hernández-Covarrubias
3,
Rosa Adriana Martínez-Esquivel
4 and
Luis Alberto Estudillo-Wong
5
1
Environmental Epidemiology Laboratory, Academic Unit of Chemical Sciences, Autonomous University of Zacatecas, Zacatecas 98000, Mexico
2
Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosi 78290, Mexico
3
Academic Unit of Chemical Sciences, Autonomous University of Zacatecas, Zacatecas 98000, Mexico
4
Academic Unit of Nursing, Autonomous University of Zacatecas, Zacatecas 98000, Mexico
5
Departamento de Biociencias e Ingeniería, CIIEMAD-IPN, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 07340, Mexico
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Water 2024, 16(17), 2428; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16172428
Submission received: 18 July 2024 / Revised: 22 August 2024 / Accepted: 26 August 2024 / Published: 28 August 2024
(This article belongs to the Topic Health Risk Assessment of the Trace and Macro Elements)

Abstract

Fluoride (iF) is an inorganic element commonly present in groundwater in central Mexico and is considered a health risk when it exceeds the Mexican drinking water standard of 1.5 mg/L. Prolonged exposure to iF can cause various adverse health effects, such as dental fluorosis and neurological effects, particularly in children. A rapid and cost-effective strategy to identify possible areas where the resident population may be at risk of exposure to this contaminant is the health risk estimation methodology of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The aim of this study was to estimate the environmental risk of iF exposure in residents of Jerez, Zacatecas, Mexico, and subsequently construct risk maps to identify areas of the city where there is a higher risk of exposure. Fifty-five tap water samples were collected from households to determine iF concentrations using the ion-selective electrode method. Based on these environmental values, the hazard quotient (HQ) was estimated following the health risk estimation methodology. Subsequently, risk maps were generated from these values to visualize the spatial distribution of high-risk areas within the city. The iF concentrations in tap water ranged from 1.3 to 7.3 mg/L (ppm), with only one sample below the standard of 1.5 mg/L. We estimated HQ values ranging from 0.63 to 3.73. Exposure to iF in tap water is a health problem that must be addressed, necessitating risk communication actions that enable the population to safeguard its health through simple measures, thereby avoiding future health costs.
Keywords: fluoride; health; water fluoride; health; water

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Martínez-Acuña, M.I.; Reyes-Hernández, H.; Hernández-Covarrubias, S.A.; Martínez-Esquivel, R.A.; Estudillo-Wong, L.A. Mapping the Environmental Risk of Fluoride Exposure of Drinking Water in a Community of Zacatecas, Mexico. Water 2024, 16, 2428. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16172428

AMA Style

Martínez-Acuña MI, Reyes-Hernández H, Hernández-Covarrubias SA, Martínez-Esquivel RA, Estudillo-Wong LA. Mapping the Environmental Risk of Fluoride Exposure of Drinking Water in a Community of Zacatecas, Mexico. Water. 2024; 16(17):2428. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16172428

Chicago/Turabian Style

Martínez-Acuña, Mónica Imelda, Humberto Reyes-Hernández, Sergio A. Hernández-Covarrubias, Rosa Adriana Martínez-Esquivel, and Luis Alberto Estudillo-Wong. 2024. "Mapping the Environmental Risk of Fluoride Exposure of Drinking Water in a Community of Zacatecas, Mexico" Water 16, no. 17: 2428. https://doi.org/10.3390/w16172428

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