Water New Zealand

Good Practice Guide

Supply of Fluoride for

Use in Water Treatment

May 2014

Third Edition
Contents

1 GENERAL ..................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Scope ..................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Purpose .................................................................................................................. 1
1.3 Application .............................................................................................................. 1
1.4 Uses in Water Treatment ........................................................................................ 1
1.5 Manufacture of Fluoride Compounds...................................................................... 1
1.6 Description of Fluoride Compounds........................................................................ 1
1.7 Methods of Dosing .................................................................................................. 2
1.8 Definitions ............................................................................................................... 2
2 MATERIALS ................................................................................................................. 3
2.1 Physical Properties ................................................................................................. 3
2.2 Chemical Requirements ......................................................................................... 3
2.3 Impurities ................................................................................................................ 4
3 DELIVERY .................................................................................................................... 5
3.1 Packaging and Shipping ......................................................................................... 5
3.2 Labelling ................................................................................................................. 5
3.3 Unloading and Storage ........................................................................................... 5
3.4 Disposal of packaging ............................................................................................. 6
4 SAFETY ........................................................................................................................ 7
4.1 Health and Safety and Environmental Protection ................................................... 7
4.2 Protective Equipment.............................................................................................. 8
4.3 Spills ....................................................................................................................... 8
5 TEST METHODS .......................................................................................................... 9
5.1 General ................................................................................................................... 9
5.2 Sampling ................................................................................................................. 9
5.3 Standard Tests ....................................................................................................... 9
6 QUALITY ASSURANCE ............................................................................................. 11
6.1 Certificate of Compliance ...................................................................................... 11
6.2 Weight Certificate ................................................................................................. 11
6.3 Rejection ............................................................................................................... 11
Appendix A: Specific Impurity Limits ............................................................................ 13
A 1 Specific Impurity Limits based on a maximum dose of 1.0 mg of fluoride per litre of
water, and a safety factor of 10 ............................................................................ 13
A 2 Example Specific Impurity Limit Calculations ....................................................... 14
Appendix B: Sampling Procedure .................................................................................. 16
B 1 Sampling Method .................................................................................................. 16
B2 Sample Preparation .............................................................................................. 17
REFERENCES .................................................................................................................. 18

The first edition of this document was prepared for the Water Supply Managers' Group of the New Zealand Water & Wastes
Association and the Ministry of Health by Works Consultancy Services Ltd in 1995. It was subsequently updated in 1997 prior
to this edition.

Copyright:
The information contained in this Good Practice Guide is given in good faith and has been derived from sources believed to be reliable
and accurate, however, neither the organisation of Water New Zealand nor any person involved in the preparation of this
publication accept any form of liability whatsoever for its contents. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in any
retrieval system, or copied in any way, without the prior written permission of Water New Zealand.

Published by:
Water New Zealand | PO Box 1316, Wellington 6140 | P: +64 4 472 8925 | E: enquiries@waternz.org.nz | W: www.waternz.org.nz
Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 1

1 GENERAL
1.1 Scope
This Guide covers hydrofluosilicic acid1, sodium fluoride and sodium silicofluoride2,
for the addition to water supplies.

1.2 Purpose
The main purpose of this Guide is to provide purchasers, manufacturers and
suppliers with the minimum requirements for hydrofluosilicic acid, sodium fluoride
and sodium silicofluoride, including physical, chemical and testing requirements.

1.3 Application
This Guide can be referenced in specifications for purchasing and receiving
hydrofluosilicic acid, sodium fluoride and sodium silicofluoride, and can be used as
a guide for testing the physical and chemical properties of samples of them. The
stipulations of this Guide apply when this document has been referenced and only
to hydrofluosilicic acid, sodium fluoride or sodium silicofluoride when used for the
dosage of water supplies.

1.4 Uses in Water Treatment

Fluoride is added to the water supply to reduce the incidence of dental caries.
Hydrofluosilicic acid, sodium fluoride and sodium silicofluoride are the fluoride
compounds that are commonly used for this purpose.

1.5 Manufacture of Fluoride Compounds

1.5.1 Hydrofluosilicic acid is produced as a co-product in the manufacture of phosphate

fertilisers. Phosphate rock, which contains fluoride and silica, is treated with
sulphuric acid. This produces two gases: silicon tetrafluoride and hydrogen
fluoride. These gases are passed through scrubbers where they react with water
to form hydrofluosilicic acid.

1.5.2 Sodium fluoride is generally produced by neutralising hydrofluosilicic acid with

caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) or soda ash.

1.5.3 Sodium silicofluoride is generally produced from the addition of sodium carbonate
or sodium chloride to hydrofluosilicic acid.

1.6 Description of Fluoride Compounds

1.6.1 Hydrofluosilicic acid is a strong, corrosive, pale yellow liquid with a
characteristic sour odour.

1
Synonyms include: hydrofluorosilicic acid, hexafluorosilicic acid, hexafluosilicic acid, fluorosilicic acid and fluosilicic
acid.
2
Synonyms include: sodium fluorosilicate and disodium hexafluorosilicate.
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Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 2

1.6.2 Sodium fluoride is white, odourless, free-flowing, powder or crystals.

1.6.3 Sodium silicofluoride is a white, odourless, free-flowing crystalline powder.

1.7 Methods of Dosing

1.7.1 Hydrofluosilicic acid is normally fed directly into water by means of various liquid
feeding devices and metering pumps. Dilution of the acid in the range of 10 to 1
and 20 to 1 (parts water to parts acid) before feeding is not recommended due to
the possible formation of an insoluble silica precipitate.

1.7.2 Sodium fluoride is proportionally added to water either as a dry powder, or as a

solution of varying strengths. A saturated solution tank eliminates the necessity of
weighing the compound, but does require a water meter to measure the amount of
water that is used to make up a solution of known strength.

1.7.3 Sodium silicofluoride is fed into water by means of mechanical dry feeders equipped
with solution tanks, which should completely dissolve the compound before its
introduction into the water. Sodium silicofluoride is less soluble than sodium
fluoride, so liquid proportioning of solutions is rarely used and feeding of slurries is
not recommended.

1.8 Definitions
The following definitions shall apply in this Guide:

1.8.1 Fluoride Compounds: A group of chemical compounds, consisting of

hydrofluosilicic acid, sodium fluoride and sodium
silicofluoride, presently used for fluoridation of
water.
1.8.2 Hydrofluosilicic Acid: Hydrofluosilicic acid (HFA), or hydrofluorosilicic acid,
or fluosilicic acid is an aqueous solution of H2SiF6.
1.8.3 Sodium Fluoride: Sodium fluoride is a powder, or crystals, or a
combination of both, consisting essentially of NaF.
1.8.4 Sodium Silicofluoride: Sodium silicofluoride, or sodium fluosilicate, is a
crystalline powder consisting essentially of Na2SiF6.
1.8.5 Manufacturer: The party that manufactures, fabricates, or
produces materials or products.
1.8.6 Purchaser: The person, company or organisation that
purchases any materials or work to be performed.
1.8.7 Reception Point: The point of physical transfer of materials from the
supplier to the purchaser.
1.8.8 Supplier: The party who supplies material or services. A
supplier may or may not be the manufacturer.
1.8.9 w/w weight per unit weight, for example g/kg.

Water New Zealand

Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 3

2 MATERIALS
2.1 Physical Properties
Table 1 gives some physical properties of fluoride compounds.

Table 1: Some Physical Properties of Fluoride Compounds

Fluoride Compound
Property
Hydrofluosilicic Acid Sodium Fluoride Sodium Silicofluoride

Hydrofluosilicic acid is a Sodium fluoride is a fine dry Sodium silicofluoride is a

Appearance clear pale yellow aqueous powder or a dry crystalline fine, dry powder containing
solution material with no lumps no lumps
Molecular
H2SiF6 NaF Na2SiF6
Formula
Molecular
144.09 41.99 188.06
Weight
pH 1.2 (25% w/w solution) close to neutral (solution) 3.5 – 4.0 (solution)
1.18 – 1.20 (20°C) of 25%
Specific Gravity N/A N/A
w/w solution
Bulk Density N/A about 1.4 kg/L about 1.4 kg/L
0.43 g/100 mL water (0°C)
Solubility in 4.1 g/100 mL @ 15°C 0.65 g/100 mL water (17°C)
Completely miscible
Water 4.3 g/100 mL @ 25°C 0.76 g/100 mL water (25°C)
0.94 g/100 mL water (35°C)
1
1 Mesh % Passing
Mesh % Passing
No 32 (495 μm) 100
No 200 (74 μm) 90-99
Particle Size N/A No 100 (147 μm) 50-90
No 325 (43 μm) 40-75
No 200 (74 μm) 15.50
No 400 (38 μm) 30-45
No 325 (43 μm) 0-20

1
Tyler Mesh Size

2.2 Chemical Requirements

2.2.1 Hydrofluosilicic acid shall contain between 17% and 21% (w/w) hydrofluosilicic
acid, H2SiF6.

2.2.2 Sodium fluoride shall have a minimum of 97% w/w sodium fluoride, NaF,
corresponding to approximately 43.9% fluoride ions. Moisture shall not exceed
0.3% w/w on delivery at the reception point.

2.2.3 Sodium silicofluoride shall have a minimum of 98% w/w sodium silicofluoride,
Na2SiF6, corresponding to approximately 59.4% fluoride ions. Moisture shall not
exceed 0.3% w/w on delivery at the reception point.

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Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 4

2.3 Impurities

2.3.1 Specific Impurity Limits

2.3.1.1 For the purposes of this Standard the term “specific impurities” refers to the
following substances, which have maximum acceptable values (MAVs) assigned to
them in the Drinking-water Standards for New Zealand 2005 (Revised 2008);
antimony, arsenic, barium, boron, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, manganese,
mercury, molybdenum, nickel, selenium and uranium.

2.3.1.2 The levels of specific impurities in commercially available hydrofluosilicic acid,

sodium fluoride and sodium silicofluoride shall not exceed the specific impurity limits
(SILs) given in Appendix A1, which also specifies the equation and parameter
values used for the calculation of the SILs.

2.3.1.3 Specific impurity limits shall be given as weight of impurity by weight of product (mg
of impurity / kg of product).

2.3.2 Insoluble Matter

2.3.2.1 Insoluble matter in hydrofluosilicic acid shall not exceed 0.2% w/w.

2.3.2.2 Insoluble matter in sodium fluoride shall not exceed 0.6% w/w.

2.3.2.3 Insoluble matter in sodium silicofluoride shall not exceed 0.5% w/w.

2.3.3 Colour

2.3.3.1 Colour of hydrofluosilicic acid shall not exceed 200 Colour Units.

2.3.4 Free acid content

2.3.4.1 The hydrofluosilicic acid shall contain no more than 1% free acids (other than
hydrofluosilicic acid) expressed as hydrofluoric acid.

2.3.5 General Impurities

Additional impurity limits may be specified by the purchaser to ensure the

material supplied is suitable for water treatment. If additional impurity limits are
specified, the purchaser must specify the methods to be used to show that these
limits have been met.

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Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 5

3 DELIVERY
3.1 Packaging and Shipping
3.1.1 Fluoride compounds are toxic and should be handled with care. Suppliers of
fluoride compounds must comply with the relevant regulations for classification,
marking, packaging, labelling and transporting of material, currently including the
Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 and Regulations and their
amendments, Land Transport Rule 45001/1 and NZS 5433.1&2: 2012, Transport
of Dangerous Goods on Land.

3.1.2 Hydrofluosilicic acid may be shipped in bulk in road tankers and trailers. Sodium
fluoride and sodium silicofluoride may be shipped in multi-wall paper bags with
polyethylene inner coating.

3.1.3 Tanks for transporting hydrofluosilicic acid shall comply with all conditions as
required under the Land Transport Act 1998, and shall not contain any substances
that might affect the quality of the hydrofluosilicic acid added to water supplies as
specified by this Standard. Refer also to Section 4.1.1.

3.2 Labelling
Each shipment of material shall comply with the New Zealand Standard NZS
5433.1&2 :2012, Transport of Dangerous Goods on Land, Parts 1 & 2.and
specifically must be clearly identifiable and be marked and/or accompanied by clear
means of giving the following information:

Contents: (Proper Shipping Name)

UN Number:
Hazardous Chemical Classification:
Name of Manufacturer:
Net weight:

3.3 Unloading and Storage

3.3.1 Bulk hydrofluosilicic acid shall be unloaded at the purchaser's premises using
either a gravity discharge or a pump into an appropriate receiving vessel. The
supplier shall provide an appropriate "camlock" or other type of coupling as agreed
with the purchaser for connection to the storage tank inlets, if required, which
should prevent an incorrect discharge.

3.3.2 Bagged sodium fluoride and sodium silicofluoride shall be transported on pallets
for unloading with a forklift or by hand. Bags shall be stored in a dry covered
designated storage area. Bagged product shall have an expected shelf life on
delivery in dry storage conditions of two years minimum.

3.3.3 Bags damaged prior to delivery will be the responsibility of the supplier, and bags
damaged during unloading at the purchaser's premises will be the responsibility of
the agent undertaking the unloading.

3.3.4 The condition on delivery of the paper outers of the bags shall not have
deteriorated to any extend so as to impede handling or emptying of the bags.

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Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 6

Bags with deteriorated paper outers on delivery shall be replaced by the supplier
at no cost to the purchaser.

3.3.5 Fluoridation chemicals should be stored under weatherproof conditions e.g. in a

dry environment elevated from the ground. The chemicals must be stored
separately from any other water treatment chemicals in a separate building or
room. Chemical storage areas should have appropriate bunding and/or Secondary
Containment Systems.

3.4 Disposal of packaging

3.4.1 When the product is supplied in bags, the purchaser shall bag and label the used
bags (which may contain residual product). The supplier shall have responsibility
for the disposal or recycling of this material.

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Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 7

4 SAFETY
4.1 Health and Safety and Environmental Protection
4.1.1 Suppliers of fluoride compounds must comply with the requirements of the
following documents and their amendments:
 Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992
 Land Transport Act 1998
 Resource Management Act 1991
 Land Transport Rule: Dangerous Goods 2005
 NZS 5433.1&2: 2012, Transport of Dangerous Goods on Land, Parts 1 & 2.

They shall also take all practicable steps to protect the purchaser and others, and
the environment, from hazards rising from the transportation, delivery, and supply
of fluoride compounds.

During the tendering process, the supplier shall provide the purchaser with records
of their health and safety incidents and ACC claims.

4.1.2 Within two weeks of award of a contract to supply product, and prior to delivery, the
supplier shall provide to the purchaser the following information:

(a) An updated copy of the Material Safety Data Sheet, which as a minimum
shall include the following information, as detailed in National Code of
Practice for the Preparation of Material Safety Data Sheets, [NOHSC:2011
(1994)]:

 Introductory and Company Details

Page numbers and total
Date of issue
Company, address, and phone numbers
 Identification
Product names, codes and numbers
Physical description/properties
Chemical properties
Other properties
Uses
 Health Hazard Information
Health effects
First aid
 Precautions for Use
 Safe Handling Information
 Other Information and Emergency Contacts

(b) Evidence that drivers have been adequately trained and have adequate
knowledge and experience in the handling and delivery of fluoride
compounds, including an endorsement on their licence as required under the
Land Transport Act 1998.

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Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 8

4.1.3 A copy of the purchaser's Health and Safety Management Plan shall be made
available to the supplier of fluoride compounds. Any practices by the supplier
which do not comply with the Health and Safety Management Plan may be
grounds for the termination of a supply contract. Health and Safety Management
Plans are discussed in the National Guidelines for Occupational Health and Safety
in the New Zealand Water Industry (2001).

4.2 Protective Equipment

The purchaser and the supplier will be responsible for providing their respective
personnel or agents with any necessary safety and protective equipment identified
in their Health and Safety Management Plans and ensuring it is used as required.

4.3 Spills
The supplier, their agent, or the authorised purchaser's representative responsible
for unloading the fluoride compounds, shall immediately attend to and report any
spills within the grounds of the property in which the fluoride compound reception
point is located. Clean-up and reporting procedures should be specified in Health
and Safety Management Plans; they may also be specified in the water treatment
plant Consent issued by the Regional Council.

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Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 9

5 TEST METHODS
5.1 General
5.1.1 The manufacturer or supplier shall test the materials at their own cost in order to
provide a Certificate of Compliance as required in Section 6.1.

5.1.2 The purchaser may randomly take samples of the material and have these
samples analysed for conformance with this Guide, at the cost of the purchaser.
These samples shall be taken at the place of manufacture and/or at the delivery
point, as may be agreed upon by the manufacturer or supplier and the purchaser.

5.1.3 When inspection and sampling are to be conducted at the point of manufacture,
the manufacturer shall afford the inspector representing the purchaser all reasonable
facilities for inspection and sampling of finished material, which shall be so conducted
as not to interfere unnecessarily with the operation of the plant. When on site, the
purchaser must follow the manufacturing site’s safety policies and procedures
when taking the sample, or allow the manufacturer to take the sample itself while
under supervision of the supplier’s representative.

5.1.4 Analytical methods shall be as specified in this Guide in Section 5.3. A request for
the specific gravity of the product, where appropriate, will also provide data useful
for dosing control.

5.1.5 Laboratories undertaking analyses to show that a product complies with the
requirements of this Guide shall be suitably accredited for the tests being
undertaken. A New Zealand laboratory shall be IANZ accredited and overseas
laboratories shall have ISO 17025 accreditation.

5.1.6 If the analysis of a sample taken at the point of delivery shows the material does
not comply with the requirements of this Guide, a notice of non-conformance
must be provided by the purchaser to the supplier in accordance with Section 6.1.

5.2 Sampling
5.2.1 The sampling procedure set out in Appendix B of this Guide shall be followed.

5.3 Standard Tests

5.3.1 For standard tests for the properties of fluoride compounds, refer to the following
ANSI/AWWA Standards.

Hydrofluosilicic Acid ANSI/AWWA B703-11

 Hydrofluosilicic acid content

 Insoluble matter
 Colour

Sodium Fluoride ANSI/AWWA B701-11

 Size of particles
 Insoluble matter

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Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 10

 Moisture content
 Sodium fluoride and fluoride content - electrode method
- titration method

Sodium Silicofluoride ANSI/AWWA B702-11

 Size of particles
 Insoluble matter
 Moisture content
 Sodium silicofluoride and fluoride content

5.3.2 In all fluoridation products, the concentrations of the specific impurities listed in
Table A 1, shall be determined by test methods found in Standard Methods for
the Examination of Water and Wastewater, currently the 22nd Edition, 2012 (by
subscription online or hard copy). The purchaser must state which of the testing
methods is to be used to determine compliance with the specific impurity limits.

5.3.3 Specific impurity concentrations shall be reported by the laboratory as mg of

impurity per kg of product.

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Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 11

6 QUALITY ASSURANCE
6.1 Certificate of Compliance
6.1.1 The manufacturer or supplier shall provide the purchaser with a certificate of
compliance with each delivery that states that the material furnished in
accordance with the purchaser's order complies with all applicable requirements
of this Guide.

6.1.2 The purchaser shall not use a delivered product until a certificate of compliance
for that delivery is received from the chemical supplier, and the supplier has
demonstrated that there is a satisfactory system in place to ensure the quality of
the product between the point of manufacture and point of delivery.

6.1.3 On written request from the purchaser, the chemical supplier shall provide a
certified analysis of the material, from a mutually agreed upon IANZ or ISO 17025
accredited laboratory, showing that the requirements of Sections 2.3 and 5.3 have
been met.

6.1.4 If the method of manufacture, source and/or quality of raw material used is
changed during the contract period, additional samples shall be tested by the
supplier to demonstrate that the changes have not affected conformance with this
standard. A copy of the certificate of compliance shall be provided to the
purchaser.

6.2 Weight Certificate

The volume of bulk product delivered shall be determined by certified
instrumentation, and record from the instrumentation of the volume delivered
provided to the purchaser.

6.3 Rejection
6.3.1 Notice of Non-conformance

If the fluoride compound delivered does not meet the requirements of this Guide
or the additional impurity limits notified by the purchaser (Section 2.3.4), a notice
of non-conformance must be provided by the purchaser to the supplier within 30
working days after receipt of the shipment at the point of destination. The results
of the purchaser's tests shall prevail unless the supplier notifies the purchaser
within five working days after receipt of the notice of complaint that a retest or
inspection is desired. On receipt of the request for a retest, the purchaser shall
forward to the supplier one of the sealed samples taken in accordance with
Section 5. In the event that the results obtained by the supplier upon retesting do
not agree with the results obtained by the purchaser, the other sealed sample
shall be forwarded, unopened, for analysis to a referee laboratory agreed upon by
both parties. The results of the referee analysis or inspection shall be accepted
as final.

The cost of the referee analysis, shall be paid by the supplier if the material does
not meet the requirements of this Guide, and shall be paid by the purchaser if the
material does meet the requirements of this Guide.

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Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 12

6.3.2 Material Removal

6.3.2.1 If the material does not meet the impurity limit requirements of this Standard, the
supplier shall remove the material from the premises of the purchaser when
requested by the purchaser. Removal of material shall be at no cost to the
purchaser.

6.3.2.2 If the material meets the impurity limits but not the fluoride content requirements
of this Guide, a price adjustment may be agreed between the supplier and the
purchaser. In the event that a price adjustment cannot be agreed, the supplier
shall remove the material from the premises of the purchaser if required by, and
at no cost to, the purchaser.

6.3.2.3 The material that shall be removed shall include the rejected material and any
other material the rejected material may have contaminated, for example,
contents of a tank into which a bulk delivery has been unloaded, if required by the
purchaser.

6.3.2.4 All material removed shall be concurrently replaced with material conforming to
this Guide with an appropriate compliance certificate at no cost to the purchaser.

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Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 13

Appendix A: Specific Impurity Limits

Commercially available hydrofluosilicic acid, sodium fluoride, and sodium silicofluoride are
not known to contribute significant quantities of contaminants that adversely affect the
potability of drinking water.

A1 Specific Impurity Limits based on a maximum dose of 1.0 mg of

fluoride per litre of water, and a safety factor of 10

Table A 1 Specific Impurity Limits for metallic and metalloid determinands and
boron with MAVs set in the Drinking-water Standards for New Zealand
2005 (Revised 2008)

Determinand MAV mg of Determinand per kg of Product

(mg/L)

hydrofluosilicic acid1 sodium fluoride sodium silicofluoride

Antimony 0.02 270 880 1,190

Arsenic 0.01 130 440 590
Barium 0.7 9,400 30,700 41,600
Boron 1.4 18,800 61,400 83,200
Cadmium 0.004 50 180 240
Chromium 0.05 670 2,190 2,970
Copper 2 26,900 87,800 119,000
Lead 0.01 130 440 590
Manganese 0.4 5,400 17,600 23,800
Mercury 0.007 90 310 420
Molybdenum 0.07 940 3,070 4,160
Nickel 0.08 1,080 3,500 4,800
Selenium 0.01 130 440 590
Uranium 0.02 270 880 1,190
1
The specific impurity levels for hydrofluosilicic acid are calculated using the lowest permitted
percentage purity of the commercial product, i.e. 17%.

The SILs in Table A1 are calculated using the following equation:

MAV ( mg / litre ) x 106 ( mg / kg) x P x

SIL (mg/ kg) = FF
MD ( mg / litre ) x SF

Where SIL = Specific Impurity Limit

MAV = Maximum Acceptable Value of the impurity
determinand set in the Drinking-water Standards
for New Zealand 2005 (Revised 2008),
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Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 14

MD = Maximum Dose of fluoride

SF = Safety Factor
P = Percentage (w/w) of pure compound in the
product
FF = Fraction of the weight of the pure compound due
to fluoride (= (the atomic weight of F x the number
of fluorine atoms in the molecule) / the molecular
weight of the molecule)
The SILs are calculated based on:
1. the maximum acceptable value (MAV) for each determinand taken from the
Drinking-water Standards for New Zealand 2005 (Revised 2008).
2. a maximum dose (MD) of 1 mg of fluoride ion/litre of water – the upper bound of the
Ministry of Health’s recommended concentration range for fluoride in fluoridated
water supplies
3. a safety factor (SF) of 10, which reflects the view that no more than 10 percent of
a MAV should be contributed by a given impurity in a water supply chemical.

Inclusion of a determinand in Table A.1 is not an indication that the products are expected
to contain the impurity, or, if present, that the impurity will occur near its calculated SIL.

A2 Example Specific Impurity Limit Calculations

Specific Impurity Limits (SILs) are calculated based on a maximum dose (MD) of
1 mg of fluoride ion/litre of water and the maximum acceptable value (MAV) for
each determinand taken from the Drinking-water Standards for New Zealand
2005 (Revised 2008). The safety factor (SF) used in these calculations is 10,
which reflects the view that no more than 10 percent of a MAV should be
contributed by a given impurity in a water supply chemical.

The SILs, expressed as the weight of impurity in mg per kg of product, are

determined using the following equation:

MAV ( mg / litre ) x 106 ( mg / kg) x P x

SIL (mg/ kg) = FF
MD ( mg / litre ) x SF

Where SIL = Specific Impurity Limit

MAV = Maximum Acceptable Value of the impurity
determinand set in the Drinking-water Standards
for New Zealand 2005 (Revised 2008),
MD = Maximum Dose of fluoride
SF = Safety Factor
P = Percentage (w/w) of pure compound in the
product
FF = Fraction of the weight of the pure compound due
to fluoride (= (the atomic weight of F x the number
of fluorine atoms in the molecule) / the molecular
weight of the molecule)

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Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 15

An example calculation is as follows:

Arsenic: MAV = 0.01 mg/litre

MD = 1.0 mg/litre
SF = 10

For a 17% w/w H2SiF6 (HFA) solution, this SIL equates as follows:

0.01 x 106 x 0.17 x 113.99 (6 x atomic weight of F)

SIL (As) = 144.09 (molecular weight of
1.0 x 10 x HFA)

= 130 mg As/kg HFA product (rounded)

For a 97% NaF product, this SIL equates as follows:

0.01 x 106 x 0.97 x 19.00 (atomic weight of F)

SIL (As) =
1.0 x 10 x 41.99 (molecular weight of NaF)

= 440 mg As/kg of NaF product (rounded)

For a 98% Na2SiF6 product, this SIL equates as follows:

0.01 x 106 x 0.98 x 113.99 (atomic weight of F)

SIL (As) = 188.06 (molecular weight of
1.0 x 10 x Na2SiF6)

= 590 mg As/kg of Na2SiF6 product (rounded)

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Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 16

Appendix B: Sampling Procedure

B1 Sampling Method
B 1.1 General

B 1.1.1 Sampling and preparation shall be conducted as expeditiously as possible in

order to avoid undue exposure of the material to the air, thus avoiding
contamination and evaporation.

B 1.1.2 The sampling method must give a gross sample that is representative of the
material, and which may be divided to provide representative samples for
analysis. The quantity of sample required by the testing laboratory to carry out
the desired tests must be known prior to the sample being taken.

B 1.1.3 Samples for analysis shall be provided in triplicate. One sample is for the
immediate use of the purchaser for testing of the shipment. The other two
samples shall be retained until it is known from the results of the laboratory
examination that the shipment meets the requirements of this Guide. The second
sample shall be delivered to the supplier if requested within five days of
notification of the examination results of the first sample. The third sample is for
the use of a referee laboratory if there is a controversy over the analyses.

B 1.1.4 Samples shall be sealed in airtight, moisture-proof containers supplied by the

analysing laboratory.

B 1.1.5 Each sample shall be labelled with the minimum information as follows: the
material name, the name of the purchaser, the name of the sampler, package
number, date sampled, and date received.

B 1.2 Risk Assessment and Management

B 1.2.1 Before collecting samples, the sampler shall assess the risks to their own safety,
and to others in the vicinity, of taking the sample (e.g. the release of dust from
powdered or crystalline material, splashing or spillage of liquid product), identify
what measures can be taken to minimise these risks (e.g. different approach for
taking the sample, dust masks, protective clothing), and take these steps.

B 1.2.2 Where possible, samples should be taken by an experienced laboratory

technician.

B 1.2 Sodium Fluoride and Sodium Silicofluoride

B 1.2.1 If the sodium fluoride or sodium silicofluoride is packaged, a minimum of 2%, and
preferably 5%, of the number of the packages shall be sampled. No sample shall
be taken from a broken package. Samples from individual packages shall be
combined to form a gross sample.

B 1.2.2 Care shall be taken to include a proportional amount of lumps and fines, to obtain
representative material.

B 1.2.3 Sodium fluoride and sodium silicofluoride shall be sampled using a sampling tube
or other effective device that measures at least 2 cm in diameter.
Water New Zealand
Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 17

B 1.2.4 The gross sample, of at least 8 kg or as agreed, shall be mixed thoroughly and
quartered and quartered again to provide eight 0.5 kg samples. Six of these
samples shall be sealed in air tight, moisture-proof, plastic or glass containers.
Two samples shall be for use by the purchaser. The other four shall be retained
to be used for retesting as provided for in Section B1.1.3.

To quarter the sample, tip it on to a clean surface so that it forms a conical or

hemispherical pile. With a clean knife, cut the pile vertically, dividing the pile into
four equal parts. Make up a new pile with these four parts, and repeat the
quartering process.

B 1.2.5 Each sample container shall be labelled to identify it, dated, and shall be signed
by the sampler.

B 1.4 Hydrofluosilicic Acid

B1.4.1 For safety reasons, samples shall be taken from the tanker after it has been filled.
A gross sample shall be taken, the total volume of which shall be no less than
three times the volume required for Section B1.4.2.

B1.4.2 The gross sample shall be thoroughly mixed, and split into three subsamples as
provided for in Section B1.1.3. The containers for the subsamples shall be
supplied by the laboratory for the tests listed in Section 5.3, that is, more than one
container may be required for each subsample.

B 1.4.3 Each sample container shall be labelled to identify it and shall be signed by the
sampler.

B2 Sample Preparation
B2.1 The preparation of subsamples for testing may affect the results obtained from
identical samples so appropriate and consistent preparation procedures are most
important.

B2.2 Appropriate preparation techniques and test procedures must be agreed by the
purchaser and the supplier.

Water New Zealand

Supply of Fluoride for Use in Water Treatment 18

REFERENCES

ANSI/AWWA Standard for Hydrofluosilicic Acid. ANSI/AWWA B703-11, AWWA, 2011.

ANSI/AWWA Standard for Sodium Fluoride. ANSI/AWWA B701-11, AWWA, 2011.
ANSI/AWWA Standard for Sodium Silicofluoride. ANSI/AWWA B702-11, AWWA, 2011.
Drinking-water Standards for New Zealand Ministry of Health 2005 (Revised 2008), Wellington, 2005.
Health and Safety in Employment Act. 1992.
Land Transport Act. 1998.
National Code of Practice for the Preparation of Material Safety Data Sheets, National Occupational Health
and Safety Commission, Canberra, NOHSC:2011, (1994).
nd
National Guidelines for Occupational Health and Safety in the New Zealand Water Industry, 2 Edition, New
Zealand Water and Wastes Association, Auckland, 2001
NZS 5433.1 &2: 2012 Transport of Dangerous Goods on Land. SANZ, Wellington.
Occupational Health and Safety in the New Zealand Water Industry, New Zealand Water and Wastes
Association, 2001.
Resource Management Act. 1991.
nd
Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. 22 Ed. APHA, AWWA, WEF, 2012.

Water New Zealand