Fluoride, arsenic and iodine in China's drinking water poisons 50 million people

Fluoride levels in more than 1,000 counties are too high, while arsenic poses a threat to about 600,000 mainlanders, magazine reportsTens of millions of mainland Chinese are being poisoned by unsafe levels of fluoride and arsenic in drinking water, despite decades of official efforts to improve supplies, state media say.

Elevated fluoride levels were found in the water in more than 1,000 counties across the country at the end of 2013, Oriental Outlook, a magazine affiliated with Xinhua, on Monday quoted a Centre for Disease Control and Prevention expert as saying.

Nearly 21 million people suffered diseases caused by excessive exposure, such as skeletal fluorosis - a painful condition that affects bones and joints and which can cripple in severe cases, according to Gao Yanhui, an expert at the centre's National Centre for Endemic Disease Control. Gao said 87 million people were at risk nationwide.