Resumen de Applications of a U.S. EPA-Approved Method for Fluoride Determination in an Environmental Chemistry Laboratory:: Fluoride Detection in Drinking Water
Gabrielle Rum, Wen-Yee Lee, Jorge L Gardea Torresdey
The purpose of this experiment was to demonstrate the benefits of using a United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)-approved method in an environmental chemistry course. The method selected involved the use of a combination fluoride electrode to determine the fluoride concentration in drinking water. Although it is beneficial to teeth, fluoride is extremely toxic, and its use in products such as toothpaste, mouthwash, and drinking water is highly controversial. The laboratory not only accomplished the instruction of our students in the laboratory techniques and analytical procedures involved in water analysis for fluoride, it also piqued their interest in the environmental issues surrounding water fluoridation and made them more aware of the everyday environmental concerns that exist. We hope that the broad introduction given in this paper, as well as the demonstrated application of the analysis of fluoride in drinking water, provide adequate information for other instructors' use in an environmental chemistry course.
