[Fluoride level in human nails and its significance]

Bone tissue investigation provides the best indicator for fluorine saturation of the organism. However, the intravital bone biopsy--as an invasive method, is not applicable in prophylactic studies. Thus, attention was focussed on the nails that constitute an easily accessible material being able to reflect the chronic accumulation of fluorine in the organism. In the actual paper it has been endeavoured to find out the routes, on which fluorine is deposited in the nails, if there is any dependence between the fluorine content in the nails and the age of the studied subjects, and whether the concentration of fluoride in the nails depends on the fluctuation of this element in the environment, and which of the parameters exert influence upon it. The performed investigations permitted the following conclusions to be drawn: 1. The nails furnish a readily accessible material for studying fluorine saturation in the organism. 2. Fluorine may be accumulated in the nails on internal pathway through circulatory system, and from outside--by means of direct absorption. 3. Since relatively high content of fluoride has been revealed in the nails of the youngest children, they should be protected against further supply of fluorine compounds from outside. 4. In the areas not polluted by fluorine compounds there is a lack of statistically significant dependence between the content of fluoride in the nails and the age.