Journal article

Publication year: 2001

Pages: 1507-1510

Journal: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Volume number: 20

Issue number: 7

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620200713

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Abstract: 

In order to reconstruct temporal changes in ambient fluoride levels in
the industrialized Ruhr area (western Germany), we analyzed the bone
fluoride content of 167 antlers of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) killed between 1951 and 1999 in the northern part of this region. Individual values ranged between 110 and 8,178 mg F⁻/kg
ash, and there was an overall marked decrease over the sampling period.
Average bone fluoride concentrations in antlers from the periods 1980
through 1989 (geometric mean [95% confidence interval]: 1,490
[1,193–1,861] mg/kg ash) and 1990 through 1999 (753 [644–882] mg/kg ash)
differed significantly (p < 0.001) and were both significantly (p
< 0.001) lower than those from the periods 1951 through 1969 (3,720
[3,227–4,288] mg/kg ash) and 1970 through 1979 (2,573 [2,203–3,006]
mg/kg ash). The findings are seen as indicative of a progressively
reduced atmospheric fluoride deposition into the study area, caused by
effective emission‐control measures in Germany and neighboring
countries. Because antlers are replaced annually, grow during a fixed
period of some months, and are regularly collected and kept as trophies,
they are well suited as monitoring units for analyzing temporal trends
in environmental pollution by fluoride and other bone‐seeking
pollutants.

Harvard Citation style: Kierdorf, U. and Kierdorf, H. (2001) Fluoride concentrations in antler bone of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) indicate decreasing fluoride pollution in an industrialized area of western Germany, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 20(7), pp. 1507-1510. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620200713

APA Citation style: Kierdorf, U., & Kierdorf, H. (2001). Fluoride concentrations in antler bone of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) indicate decreasing fluoride pollution in an industrialized area of western Germany. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 20(7), 1507-1510. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620200713