Coal-burning Type of Endemic Fluorosis: Pathophysiology and Clinical Treatments

Abstract

Endemic fluorosis is caused by excessive intake of fluorine in drinking water, air, food, tea and other media in a specific natural environment for a long time, which involves at least 25 countries, such as China, India, Vietnam, Iran, Egypt, Mexico, Argentina and influences more than 200 million of population. China and India are the countries with the most extensive endemic fluorosis and the most serious damages. There are three main intake sources of endemic fluorosis, e.g., drinking water, coal-burning pollution and drinking tea. Coal-burning type of endemic fluorosis was established in Guizhou Province of China in 1970’s. The residents in the areas used indoor stoves with no flue to burn coals with high content of fluoride to bake grains in the autumn and heat in the winter. This results in excessive intake of fluorine and then leads chronic poisoning. It has been confirmed that 13 provinces of China with 34.3 million of population are influenced by this type of fluorosis with severe injuries to most organs of human body. The content of this book covers the epidemiology, pathological changes, molecular pathogenesis and clinical treatments of the disease. This book is a suitable reference for the researchers and graduate students in this field, which is helpful to improve the understanding of this disease and to take preventive measures.