ABSTRACT
@#The knowledge and beliefs on the presence of fluoride in drinking water, its purpose and the associated health risks aids in equate water fluoridation and effective prevention programs. Water fluoridation is a safe, effective, and necessary method where adequate doses of fluoride is added into drinking water supplies with the target of assisting in tooth restoration and preventing tooth decay and dental caries. Therefore, this study identifies the level of knowledge and perception of fluoride in drinking water among residents living in Precinct 9, Putrajaya Methods: A cross-sectional, self-administered online questionnaire was used to examine knowledge and perception of fluoride in drinking water of 240 Precinct 9 residents. Descriptive analysis was applied for socio-demographic data and Chi-square was used to compare discrete data. All data obtained were further analyzed using SPSS Version 23.0. Results: The highest frequency (percentage) of residents were 213 (88.8%), aged 18-64 years old, 141 (58.8%) female, 214 (89.2%) with tertiary education background and 125 (51.1%) of them lived in Precinct 9 for more than 10 years. Of all participants, 137 (57.1%) and 83 (34.6%) have poor knowledge and medium perception regarding fluoride in drinking water respectively. There was a significant association between those with higher education level with knowledge (p=0.02) and perception (p=0.005) where they were more likely to know about overall fluoride in drinking water. Conclusion: Most participants had limited knowledge and negative perception of fluoride beyond a general sense it was beneficial. It appears that in moving forward to receive the water fluoridation support will need to attend to the challenge of anti-fluoride sentiment influence.
ABSTRACT
@#Introduction: Indonesia is one of the countries whose inhabitants use well water for drinking and cooking purposes. In East Java, 48.90% of the population uses well water for their daily needs. Well water contained heavy metals had bad effects on health such as cancer, damage of liver, kidneys, and others. The objective of this study was to evaluate the concentration of heavy metals in well water and relate them to a potential health outcomes. Methods: The method used in this study was analytical descriptive. Data used was secondary from East Java Environmental Office. A total of 101 samples were collected from 33 locations. There were 5 heavy metals analyzed, namely cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, and zinc. Equipment using ICPMS and AAS. Data analyzed with descriptive statistics by SPSS. Data obtained were compared to the WHO Standard for Drinking Water Quality. Results: Concentration for cadmium was 0.002 mg/l, followed by manganese at 1.80 mg/l and zinc at 0.020 mg/l. Besides, all water samples had levels of chromium and lead below the detection limit. Conclusion: All heavy metals had concentrations below the maximum allowable standard, except for five water samples from three locations with levels of manganese which was above the maximum standard. Long term effects of manganese include neurological problems, intelligence, and low birth weight. Further studies need to be done to determine the source of manganese contamination. It is recommended that bottled water is used for drinking purposes in an area where heavy metal concentration is above the allowable limit.