Effect of Home Water Filtration Systems on Fluoride Content of Drinking Water in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Munther Alalowi^1, and Mohammed Alsalem²

¹Pediatric Dentistry Department, National Guard Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

²Department of Developmental Dentistry, UT Health, San Antonio, USA

Cite this paper:
Munther Alalowi and Mohammed Alsalem. Effect of Home Water Filtration Systems on Fluoride Content of Drinking Water in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Dental Sciences and Research. 2020; 8(2):31-34. doi: 10.12691/ijdsr-8-2-1

Abstract

Background: Reverse Osmosis (RO) is a method used by spiral-wound membranes to separate and extract dissolved solids, organics, and bacteria from water. Commercial stores in Riyadh are equipped with a variety of RO filters which differ in the type of membrane used and stages of filtration ranging from 1 stage and up to 7 stages. This study aimed to determine the extent to which different home RO water filtration systems remove fluoride from drinking water. Materials and Methods: Two types were most common in commercial stores in Riyadh: Puri OptimaR RO filters with cellulose-based or thin-film composite membranes. Both types have filtration capabilities ranging from 1 stage and up to 7 stages. Samples were coded from 1 to 7 based on the filter type. Samples were analysed using DR3900 Laboratory VIS Spectrophotometer with RFID. Results: Most of the water samples showed a reduction in fluoride content in the range of 0.1-0.8 ppm after passing through various RO filters. Mean difference in fluoride removal was found to be (0.4) and (0.45) ppm for RO filters with the cellulose-based or thin-film composite membrane, respectively. Conclusions: The results of the study showed that the use of reverse osmosis water filtration technologies has a substantial effect in reducing the level of fluoride in drinking water.

Keywords:
fluoride dental caries drinking water purification

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