Spatial distribution of dental fluorosis in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) from North Bohemia (Czech Republic) and its relationships with environmental factors

We assessed the spatial variation of fluoride load on the local ecosystem in the Czech part of the Ore Mountains region and its southern foothills - a heavily polluted part of Europe's “Black Triangle” region. Dental fluorosis in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) served as a biomarker of fluoride exposure and thus as an indicator of environmental pollution by fluoride. The mean dental lesion index of fluorosis (DLI) calculated from the analyzed mandibles of wild roe deer (≥ 2 years of age) was assigned to the hunting ground from which the specimens originated and classified into one of the eight fluorosis categories. Environmental factors potentially related to dental fluorosis (atmospheric deposition of sulfur, concentration of fluoride in and pH of surface waters, geomorphologic features, bedrock and soil type, and vegetation cover), which were represented in the study by GIS layers, were examined to explain the distribution pattern and severity of fluorosis in the roe deer. The study revealed that 75.5% of 616 analyzed mandibles showed dental fluorosis to different extent, with individual DLIs ranging from 0 to 21. The spatial pattern of marked fluorosis on the Czech side continues that found in a previous study on the German side of the Ore Mountains. Together they create a landscape island around several thermal power plants in the region. General Linear Model (GLM) analyses revealed significant relationships between degree of forest damage, soil type, and atmospheric sulfur deposition from air pollution and dental fluorosis, expressed as mean DLI in the roe deer.