Optimum and tolerated intake of fluorine

Optimum and tolerated intake of fluorine has been studied on the basis of body weight, caloric and fluid requirement of subjects belonging to different age groups. The main F-source is consuming drinking water, and this normally contains 1 mg F/l. Thus, that amount of F should be considered optimal which is ingested with drinking water containing 1 mg F/l. The optimum per kg of body weight is 0.045 mg in infants. It decreases with age, in adults it amounts to half the optimum for infants on a mg/l basis. The tolerated and the chronic tolerated toxic amounts have been estimated for the different age groups.