Effects of Iodine and Fluorine in Drinking Water on Human Health

Abstract Water is life, so essential to human life. Trace elements in drinking water may have an impact on human health, and iodine and fluorine are important substances in the growth and development of the human body, the damage caused by either low or high levels of both has (raised global concerns) been increasing global attention. Of late (Up to now), there are many people residing in areas with iodine deficiency or high levels of iodine and fluorine in drinking water. Iodine deficiency has many adverse effects on growth and development such as simple goiter or endemic cretinism. Meanwhile, ingesting higher than recommended levels of iodine can cause health problems include hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and goiter. Excessive fluorine intake over a long period of time may result in fluorosis, which is characterized by dental mottling and skeletal manifestations such as crippling deformities, osteoporosis, and osteosclerosis. Furthermore, excessive iodine and fluorine coexist in the groundwater in many regions, causing a potential risk to the human thyroid. Therefore, ongoing monitoring and prevention programs need to be enhanced to the exposed population.