§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, since fluorine has been discovered to be responsible for lameness in cattle within certain concentrations, if he will make a statement of the effect of the gas on the human body and the general nervous system.
§ Sir K. JosephIn 1965 the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food published a report on an investigation into animal fluorosis. Following the report my Department carried out an investigation to determine whether there was any hazard to the health of humans living in the vicinity of works emitting fluorides. The results have been published in the scientific Press and were summarised in a paper read to the Health Congress of the Royal Society of Health at Eastbourne in April 1971. They indicated that outside the works there was no hazard to man either from air-borne fluorides or from the consumption of vegetables which might be contaminated by deposited fluorides. Earlier investigations by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and330W Food had shown that there was no hazard from the consumption of either meat or milk from animals which might be suffering from fluorosis.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, since fluorine causes herbage contamination in certain areas, to what extent this adds to the quantity of fluorine in water supply; and to what extent this factor affects the quantity of fluorine needed to be added to drinking water for dental purposes.
§ Sir K. JosephI am advised that the deposition of fluoride on herbage would not have a significant effect on the quantity of fluoride in water supplies; numerous factors contribute to the amount present in water. When for dental protection fluoride is added to water the amount is varied as necessary to raise the concentration to the optimum level of one part per million parts of water.