Monitoramento de fluoreto nas águas de abastecimento público: comparação entre a técnica eletrométrica e a colorimétrica

Abstract

The monitoring of fluoride ion concentration in the public water supply aims to ensure a balance between the incidence of dental caries and dental fluorosis. The objective of this research was to compare two techniques of fluoride gauging in public water supply and to determine which one is best to use as an oral health surveillance tool. The STROBE checklist was used to assist in conducting this research and report the results. It was an observational, analytical, prospective study. A total of 126 water samples were collected at 21 points for six consecutive months and analyzed using electrometric electrode with selective ion and colorimetric technique with SPADNS. The statistical analysis was performed in a descriptive way, followed by the multiple factor ANOVA test and the Student t test for paired samples. The level of significance was set at 5% (p <0.05). The results showed that the electrometric technique showed lower variation (12.3%) when compared to the colorimetric technique (57.4%). The data also show that the two techniques studied demonstrate a reduction in fluoride concentration along the supply network, but this difference was not statistically significant. It can be concluded that the electrometric technique is the best choice to be used by laboratories that perform Vigilance in Oral Health.