A simple colour-changing test to rapidly detect fluoride in drinking water may help prevent skeletal fluorosis, a crippling bone disease, in developing countries such as India, scientists said.

While low amounts of fluoride are beneficial for healthy teeth, high levels of fluoride can weaken bones, leading to skeletal fluorosis, said researchers at the University of Bath, UK.

Skeletal fluorosis causes crippling deformities of the spine and joints, especially in children whose skeletons are still forming, they said.

Levels of fluoride in drinking water are routinely monitored and controlled at treatment works in developed countries.

However, in areas where there is no piped water system or treatment works, people rely on drawing untreated water from wells, which can often be contaminated with higher than recommended levels of fluoride.

A research team led by Simon Lewis from the University of Bath has developed a simple colour-changing test that detects high levels of fluoride quickly and selectively.

While the test is at the proof of concept stage, the team aims to develop it into a disposable test strip that is low cost and easy to use by anyone.

"Most water quality monitoring systems need a lab and power supply, and a trained operator to work them. What we have developed is a molecule that simply changes colour in a few minutes, which can tell you whether the level of fluoride is too high," said Lewis.

"We would like to develop this technology into test strips, similar to litmus paper, that allows people without any scientific training to perform a test that is low cost, rapid and robust.

"We anticipate that in the future, it could make a real difference to people's lives," said Lewis.

(With inputs from PTI)

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