Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica logoLink to Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
. 1971 Jun 1;12(2):151–163. doi: 10.1186/BF03547750

A Literary Review on Bovine Fluorosis

Anna-Lisa Obel 1,✉
PMCID: PMC8561576  PMID: 4938090

Abstract

The toxic action of ingested fluorine compounds was first observed among people living in places where the fluorine content of the water was high. The clinical picture was dominated by the easily detectable lesions in the enamel of the teeth. Later injury to domestic animals also was found. Bovines have been reported to be more sensitive than man, and they are the most susceptible among the domestic animals, the susceptibility decreasing in the order: Cattle, sheep, rabbits, swine, rats and poultry (Phillips et al. 1955).

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (3.5 MB).

References

  1. Agate J N, Bell G H, Boddie G F, Bowler R G, Buckell M, Cheeseman E A, Douglas T H J, Druett H A, Garrad J, Hunter D, Perry K M A, Richardson D J, de Weir J B V. Industrial fluorosis. A study of the hazard to man and animals near Fort William, Scotland. Memor. med. Res. Goun. (Lond.) 1949;22:131. [Google Scholar]
  2. Allcroft R, Burns K N. Fluorosis in cattle in England and Wales. Incidence and sources. Fluoride, Quart. Rep. 1968;1:50–53. [Google Scholar]
  3. Bauer W H. Effect on bones and teeth. Amer. J. Orthodoixt. Oral. Surg. 1945. Experimental chronic fluorine intoxication; pp. 700–719. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bélanger L F, Visek W J, Lotz W E, Comar C L. Rachitomimetic effects of fluoride feeding on the skeletal tissues of growing pigs. Amer. J. Path. 1958;34:25–35. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bell M C, Af. Merriman G, Greenwood D A. Distribution and excretion of F18 fluoride in beef cattle. J. Nutr. 1961;73:379–385. doi: 10.1093/jn/73.4.379. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  6. Berry R J W, Trillwood W. Sodium fluoride and cell growth. Brit. Med. J. 1963;2:1064. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5364.1064-a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Blakemore F, Bos worth T J, Green H H. Industrial fluorosis of farm animals in England, attributable to the manufacture of bricks, the calcining of ironstone, and to enamelling processes. J. comp. Path. 1948;58:267–301. doi: 10.1016/S0368-1742(48)80026-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Bronsch K, Grieser N. Fluor und Fluortoleranzen in der Ernährung der Nutztiere. (Fluorine and tolerances of fluorine in the food of the domestic animals). Berl. Münch, tierärztl. Wschr. 1964;77:401–408. [Google Scholar]
  9. Burns K N, Allcroft R. Fluorosis. Vet. Ree. 1964;76:507–509. [Google Scholar]
  10. Gohrs J. Zur pathologischen Anatomie und Pathogenese der chronischen Fluorvergiftung des Rindes. (Pathology and pathogenesis of chronic fluorine intoxication in cattle). Dtsch. tierärztl. Wschr. 1941;49:352–357. [Google Scholar]
  11. Dale D G, Crampton E W. Observations on chronic fluorosis in dairy cattle. Canad. J. comp. Med. 1955;19:6–16. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Ezaki Y. Studies on enzootic fluorosis in cattle with special reference to mottled teeth. J. Japan vet. med. Ass. 1959;12:383–388. doi: 10.12935/jvma1951.12.383. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  13. Faccini J M. Inhibition of bone resorption in the rabbit by fluoride. Nature (Lond.) 1967;214:1269–1271. doi: 10.1038/2141269a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Faccini J M. Fluoride and bone. Calc. Tiss. Res. 1969;3:1–16. doi: 10.1007/BF02058641. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Faccini J M, Care A D. The effect of sodium fluoride on the ultra-structure of the parathyroid glands of the sheep. Nature (Lond.) 1965;207:1399–1401. doi: 10.1038/2071399a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Gaud M, Charnot A, Langlais M. (The human darmous). Bull. Inst. Hyg. Maroc. 1934. Le darmous humain. [Google Scholar]
  17. Greenwood, D. A., J. L. Shupe, G. E. Stoddard, L. E. Harris, H. M. Nielsen & L. E. Olson: Fluorosis in cattle. Utah Sta. Univ. agric. exp. Sta., Spec. rep. 1964, 17.
  18. Grieser N, Bronsch K. Fluor und Fluortoleranzen in der Ernährung der Nutztiere. (Fluorine and tolerances of fluorine in the food of the domestic animals). Berl. Münch. tierärztl. Wschr. 1964;77:373–379. [Google Scholar]
  19. Havivi E, Guggenheim K. The effect of copper and fluoride on the bone of mice treated with parathyroid hormone. J. Endocr. 1966;36:357–361. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0360357. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Kellner H. Histopathologic der Knochen bei chronischer experimenteller Fluor Verabreichung. (Histopathology of bone in chronic experimental fluorosis). Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. exp. Path. Pharmak. 1939;192:549–569. doi: 10.1007/BF01924841. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  21. Largent E J. Rates of elimination of fluoride stored in the tissues of man. Arch, industr. Hyg. 1952;6:37–42. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Lilleengen K. Mikroskopisk undersøkelse av benpreparater fra sauer lidende av kronisk fluorforgiftniing. (Microscopical investigation of bone from sheep with chronic fluorine intoxication). Norsk Vet. T. 1934;46:68–79. [Google Scholar]
  23. Maplesden D C, Motzok J, Oliver W T, Branion H D. Fluorosis — review and field observations. Canad. J. comp. Med. 1958;22:427–432. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Merriman G M, Hobbs C S. Univ. Tenessee agric. exp. Sta. Bull. 1962. Bovine fluorosis from soil and water sources; p. 347. [Google Scholar]
  25. Miller G W, Shupe J L. Alkaline bone phosphatase activity as related to fluoride ingestion by dairy cattle. Amer. J. vet. Res. 1962;23:24–31. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Murray M. Fluorosis in a herd of cattle in Kenya. Bull. epizoot. Dis. Afr. 1967;15:259–262. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Neeley K L, Harbaugh F G. Effects of fluorine ingestion on a herd of dairy cattle in the Lubbock, Texas, area. J. Amer. vet. med. Ass. 1954;124:344–350. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Ockerse T. Endemic fluorosis in the Pretoria district. S. Afr. med. J. 1941;15:261–266. [Google Scholar]
  29. Perkinson J D, Whitney J B, Monroe R A, Lötz W E, Comar C L. Metabolism of F18 in domestic animals. Amer. J. Physiol. 1955;182:383–389. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1955.182.2.383. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Phillips P H, Greenwood D A, Hobbs C S, Huffman C F. Nat. Acad. Sei., Nat. Res. Gounc. 1955. The fluorosis problem in livestock production; p. 17. [Google Scholar]
  31. Proffit W D, Ackerman J L. Fluoride: its effects on two parameters of bone growth in organ culture. Science. 1964;145:932–934. doi: 10.1126/science.145.3635.932. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Rand W E, Smith H J. The effect upon cattle of Arizona waters of high fluoride content. Amer. J. vet. Res. 1952;13:50–61. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Reed, O. E. & C. F. Huffman: The results of a five year mineral feeding investigation with dairy cattle. Mich. Sta. Coll., agr. exp. Sta., Techn. Bull. 1930, 105.
  34. Roholm K. Fluorine intoxication. 1937. p. 364. [Google Scholar]
  35. Rôckert H. X-ray absorption and X-ray fluorescence microanalyses of mineralized tissue of rats which have ingested fluoridated water. Acta path. microbiol. scand. 1963;59:32–38. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1963.tb01768.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Röckert H, Sunzel H. Skeletal lesions following ingestion of fluoridated water. Experientia. 1960;16:155–156. doi: 10.1007/BF02157731. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Slagsvold L. Fluorforgiftning. (Fluorosis). Norsk Vet. T. 1934;46:2–68. [Google Scholar]
  38. Suttie J W, Phillips P H, Miller R F. Studies on the effects of dietary sodium fluoride on dairy cows. III. Skeletal and soft tissue fluorine deposition and fluorine toxicosis. J. Nutr. 1958;65:293–304. doi: 10.1093/jn/65.2.293. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Udall D H, Keller K P. A report of fluorosis in cattle in the Columbia River Valley. Cornell Vet. 1952;42:159–184. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Velu H. Relations du Darmous et de la nappe phréatique des zones phosphatées. (Relations between the darmous and the subsoil water in the zones rich in phosphate). Bull. Acad. vet. Fr. 1931;4:392–394. [Google Scholar]
  41. Wallace-Durbin P. The metabolism of fluorine in the rat using F18. J. dent. Res. 1954;33:789–800. doi: 10.1177/00220345540330060701. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Weather ell J A, Weidmann S M. The skeletal changes of chronic experimental fluorosis. J. Path. Bact. 1959;78:233–241. doi: 10.1002/path.1700780126. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Weidmann S M, Weatherell J A, Whitehead R S. The effects of fluorine on the chemical composition and calcification of bone. J. Path. Bact. 1959;78:435–445. doi: 10.1002/path.1700780210. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Yates C S, Doty S, Talmage R V. Effects of sodium fluoride on calcium homeostasis. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. (N. Y.) 1964;115:1103–1108. doi: 10.3181/00379727-115-29127. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica are provided here courtesy of BMC

RESOURCES