Public-health risks from tea drinking: Fluoride exposure.

Aims: Due to new evidence on fluoride neurotoxicity during early life, this study examined maternal exposure to fluoride through tea consumption in a low-fluoride region and measured fluoride releases from commercially available teas (tea bags and loose teas) to determine the need to limit fluoride exposure.

Methods: Maternal urine fluoride (MUF) concentrations were measured in spot urine samples (=118) from first-trimester pregnant women and in prepared tea infusions made with deionised water from 33 brand teas and 57 loose-tea products, as determined by the direct method of using a fluoride-selective electrode.

Results: The fluoride concentration in the local drinking water supplies ranged from 0.