## 4 Discussion
According to the latest data from the non-profit trade association Natural Mineral Waters Europe (NMWE), 63% of consumers prefer to drink still bottled water [31]. In 2019, the average per capita consumption of bottled water in the EU was 118 L. Among the EU countries, the top five largest consumers of bottled water were Italy with 200 L per capita, Germany with 168 L, Portugal with 140 L, Hungary with 139 L, andSpain with 135 L. Romania ranked in the middle with an average consumption of 106 L per capita [31]. These data indicate an increase in water consumption at the EU level compared to previously available data. Furthermore, when considering specific social groups that are prone to higher daily water intake, such as athletes or individuals living in regions/countries with tropical or dry climates, it becomes even more important to closely monitor the daily F intake from water. Romania is known for its abundant underground water resources, boasting over 2000 springs and holding 60% of the mineral water reserves in Europe [32]. The country's natural mineral water production accounts for more than 12% of the total production in Eastern Europe but represents only approximately 3% of the production registered in the EU [32]. More than 75% of the natural mineral water deposits intended for bottling in Romania are managed by the National Mineral Water Society [32; 33]. The official list of recognised natural mineral waters in Romania is published annually, by order of the president of the National Agency for Mineral Resources (ANRM). According to the ANRM, the list comprises 78 trade names of bottled water in 2023 [33]. Additionally, in the market, both imported and domestic brands can be found, including those that are unrecognised or in the process of recognition. According to Romanian legislation, the labelling requirements for natural mineral or spring water, state that only mineral waters with a F concentration higher than 1.5 mg/L are required to have the following warning on the label: \"Contains more than 1.5 mg/L fluorides: product not recommended for the regular consumption of infants and children under 7 years old\". However, indicating the F concentration on the bottle label is optional [34]. There is no comprehensive \"map of the distribution of F\" in groundwater in Romania. Instead, there have been sporadic studies indicating the presence of regions with high F content in both ground and drinking water, containing up to 2.75 mg/L of F [18], exceeding the maximum safe limit of 1.5 mg/L set by the EU Parliament and Council [35]. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has established a water quality target for F at a value of 1.5 mg/L, which represents the maximum level without observed adverse effects [1]. However, it is important to consider the volume of water consumed and F intake from other sources when setting national standards [1]. The optimal level of F in drinking water to prevent tooth decay and minimise the risk of DF is recommended to be 0.7 mg/L. This recommendation is supported by the American Dental Association (ADA) and United States Department of Health and Human Services (U.S. HHS) for both tap water fluoridation and bottled water that has F added [6; 17]. Conversely, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has set the maximum allowable level of naturally occurring F in drinking water at 4 mg/L. If the F concentration exceeds this level, defluoridation processes are required to reduce the F content [6; 17]. Additionally, the U.S. EPA has established a secondary maximum contaminant level of 2.0 mg/L for F in drinking water. If the naturally occurring F level exceeds this value, water suppliers are required to notify consumers [6]. The purpose of this notification is to inform families that regular consumption of water with natural F levels greater than 2 mg/L by infants and young children may lead to the development of moderate to severe DF in their developing teeth [6].