Fluoride intake via watermelon consumption and risk assessment

Natural fruit beverages are popular drinks worldwide. In particular, watermelon juice is highly consumed in the Middle East because the geographical conditions are suitable for its cultivation. However, the innocuity of these beverages is poorly studied in the region. In this study, the fluoride concentration in natural watermelon juice from 3 different provinces of Iran was determined. The toxicological risk of fluoride for watermelon consumers with an age range of 4-65 years old was also determined. The fluoride content in 30 watermelon samples was analyzed. The mean values of triplicate fluoride measurements were reported in this study. The health risk assessment was evaluated by using the hazard quotient (HQ). Overall, the mean fluoride content in natural watermelon juice was 0.007 mg/L. The mean fluoride concentration in samples from Fars province (with the highest value of 0.037 mg/L) was statistically higher than that from Khuzestan and Isfahan provinces. The hazard quotient value in all age groups was <1 and indicated no significant risk for watermelon consumers of the different age groups. Although watermelon alone may not present an apparent health risk, fluoride intake by consuming other sources of drinks and food should be considered to provide a comprehensive fluoride risk assessment.