To identify trace elements in the teeth of schoolchildren, to associate levels with caries experience and the quality of local drinking water in communities with distinctive environmental conditions
Method:
Laser Ablation Inductively Couple Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) was used to measure trace elements in 30 exfoliated deciduous teeth from children aged 6-7 and 11-12 years, in 20 villages, 3 districts in South Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. Data of environmental situation in headwater, midstream, hilly and estuary areas were collected through observation and questionnaires. Drinking water from these villages was analysed by the public health authority
Result:
Enamel from a child of the Barito River’s estuary to the Java Sea, who consumes predominantly rain water, had high concentrations of manganese, cobalt, chromium, copper and very high concentrations of mercury, zinc and nickel. High concentrations of manganese and mercury were also found in samples from resident aside the Barito River in 3 Districts,and those who live close to coal mining sites in Tapin District. A high concentration of lead was found in dentine of a tooth from a child who mostly consumed piped water, living close to the busy road connecting South and Central Kalimantan.
Bivariate analysis showed significant (p<0.05) but moderate correlations between dental caries index and concentrations of tin, mercury and uranium in dentine and inversely with copper in enamel. Concentration of fluoride in water inversely correlated with selenium, tin, cerium, lead in enamel, selenium and lanthanum in dentine and positively with, samarium, erbium in dentine. Water pH is positively correlated with arsenic and uranium in enamel and with samarium in dentine, and inversely with selenium in enamel and dentine.
Conclusion:
Teeth provide an excellent record of heterogeneous trace elements from environmental exposure and can be used as an evidence of pollution episodes, and as a predictor of caries risk.