LEVELS OF FLUORIDE IN NIGER SEED (GUIZOTIA ABYSSINICA) CULTIVATED IN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA

The levels of fluoride in niger seed (Guizotia abyssinica) cultivated in ten areas in Ethiopia and Eritrea were determined. Eight samples were from production sites in Ethiopia and two samples were from the Ethiopian Gene Bank from seed grown in the Wellega region of Ethiopia (12 accessions) and in Eritrea (10 accessions). Alkali fusion was used to extract the fluoride which was then measured with a fluoride ion selective electrode. The range of fluoride concentration found in the niger seeds was 3.42-7.35 mu g/g. The daily intake of niger seeds in Ethiopia was calculated to be 1.8 g/day, containing 6-13 mu g F/day (0.006-0.013 mg F/day), a level well below that likely to result in the adverse effects of dental or skeletal fluorosis.