Fluoride

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16 Nov 2024

15:01 AEDT




Why the United States remove fluorine from public water



President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to appoint Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as head of the US Department of wellness and Social Welfare.

If confirmed, Kennedy will oversee major wellness agencies specified as the CDC, FDA, and NIH, managing a department employing about 80,000 employees and having a budget of many trillion dollars.

Kennedy, a longtime fluorine critic, has late promised to remove him from public water, which concerns two-thirds of Americans.

In a post on X Kennedy stated that on January 20, Trump administration would urge all American waterworks to destruct fluorine.

"January 20th, Trump White home will advise all United States. water systems for removing fluoride from public water. Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, failure of IQ, neurodevelopmental disorders and thyroid diseases," Kennedy wrote in a post on social media.

The United States began adding fluorine to public water since 1960 to prevent tooth decay, and wellness agencies proceed to support it.

However, many European countries, including Germany and Sweden, do not fluoride water, relying alternatively on toothpaste and another products. another countries, specified as Australia, powerfully fluoride public water.

Critics say that with the universal availability of toothpaste with fluoridation fluoridation, water fluoridation may be little needed today. They besides express concerns about the possible long-term risks of vulnerability to fluorine, specified as tooth and skeleton fluorosis.


Ecologists are afraid about the effects of fluorine on ecosystems. advanced levels, especially time accumulation, can be harmful to humans, aquatic organisms, affecting fish health, plant growth and biodiversity.

Fluoride is hard to remove from water due to its solubility. Unlike chlorine that can evaporate, fluoride ions are non-volatile, meaning that they do not evaporate with water after heating and form a bond that requires more energetic and advanced processes to separate.

Kennedy's views coincide with his calls to survey food additives and water, which, he says, should be a substance of individual choice.

Although Trump’s choice was commended by some, he raised concern among public wellness officials. If Kennedy is appointed, his position on fluorine could lead to major changes in US wellness policy.
Why do countries fluorize public water?

The main reason why countries fluoride public waterworks is to reduce tooth decay at population level, especially in communities that may not have access to adequate dental care.

Water fluorization began in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s, and another countries followed in its footsteps.

Although there is evidence that fluorine reduces caries, most studies focused only on its affirmative effects, neglecting its wider negative impact.

Are industrial waste "industrial waste"?

Sort of. Fluoride added to public waterworks is industrially produced fluorine compounds - by-products of the phosphorous fertilizer industry. Here's how it's created and added:

1. origin of fluorine compounds: Fluoride utilized to fluoride water usually comes from industrial processes, primarily from the production of phosphorus fertilisers. During this process, fluorine gas is captured and processed into compounds that are safe for water treatment.

The most common compounds utilized in water fluorization are:

Sodium fluoride (NaF)
Fluoric acid (H2SiF6)
Sodium fluoroccerate (Na2SiF6)

2. Industrial production: These fluorine compounds are by-products of the phosphorus fertiliser industry. Phosphorite naturally contains fluorine, and erstwhile it is processed into fertilisers, fluoride gases are released. alternatively of allowing these gases to escape (which would be harmful to the environment), the manufacture captures them and transforms them into unchangeable fluorine compounds suitable for water treatment.

3. Cleaning and quality control: The captured fluoride is purified and standardized to meet strict quality and safety standards. Regulatory agencies, specified as the American Water and Draining Association (AWWA) and the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), set detailed criteria for the purity and quality of fluoride additives utilized in drinking water.

4. Distribution to water treatment facilities: These fluorine compounds are then packaged and distributed to urban water treatment plants. Water treatment stations add fluorine in strictly controlled quantities, usually at concentrations of about 0.7 mg/L (part per million), which is mostly considered below toxic levels.

5. Automated dosing systems: In the water treatment plant, automated systems monitor and control fluorine dosing to guarantee that an appropriate safe amount is added to the water supply.

Which countries produce fluoride?

The production of fluorine is related to the phosphorus fertiliser manufacture as fluorine is simply a byproduct of phosphorite processing.

Lead manufacturers of fluorine compounds for industrial usage and water fluorisation include:

China: China is the world's largest maker of fluoride products including sodium fluoride and fluoride acid. Much of this fluoride comes from the phosphorous fertilizer manufacture and is exported to various applications, including water fluorization.

Mexico: Mexico has crucial reserves of fluorite (calcium fluoride or fluorite) which is the main mineral utilized to produce fluorine compounds. Mexico exports crucial amounts of fluorine, mainly to the US and another close markets.

South Africa: South Africa is simply a crucial maker of fluorite and exports fluorine compounds for industrial uses, although they are not related to phosphorus fertilisers.

Mongolia: Mongolia besides produces fluorine for export, providing fluorine for industrial applications worldwide.

Russia: Russia produces fluorine from the extraction of fluorite and phosphorous fertilizer by-products, supplying both home and global markets.

What are the arguments against fluorization?

Fluorized toothpaste, mouthwash and another dental products are now widely available and affordable. Many claim that these products let people to get adequate fluorine without contaminating water.

Although the benefits of fluorine in the prevention of tooth decay are well documented, any fresh studies question the degree of its effectiveness, given the availability of fluorine in another products. any researchers claim that the benefits may not be as crucial as in the past, especially for the community with the widespread usage of toothpaste with fluoride.

There are concerns about the possible hazard of long-term vulnerability to fluorine, specified as tooth fluorosis (spurity of teeth) and, in uncommon cases, skeletal fluorosis (bone problems due to advanced intake of fluorine). In addition, awareness of the environmental impact of fluorine increases, especially erstwhile it accumulates in natural water systems.

Some believe that water fluorization removes individual choice due to the fact that people are automatically exposed to fluorine, whether they want it or not. They say that people who want to defend fluorine can choose fluorine toothpaste or another products.

Australia and the United States have 1 of the highest levels of water fluorescence in the world, while Most Western Europe has given up on this phenomenon.

Some countries, specified as Sweden, Germany, Britain and the Netherlands do not fluorise water.


Excess fluorine in drinking water causes fluorosis of teeth and skeletal fluorosis.

The planet wellness Organisation recommended an indicative value of 1.5 mg/L as a concentration above which tooth fluorosis is likely to be. Fluorosis is endemic in more than 20 developed and developing countries.

Can people remove fluoride from water?

Fluoride is hard to remove from water after mixing, as it occurs as a dissolved ion (fluoride ion, F−), which is well integrated with water and does not easy separate without specialized filtration.

This is why fluorine is hard to remove:

Small ion size and advanced solubility: Fluoride ions are very tiny and well soluble in water. erstwhile dissolved, they easy mix with water molecules and do not eject or separate easily, making them hard to filter out with basic methods specified as standard carbon filters.

Strong chemical bonds: Fluorium has a strong affinity to form chemical bonds with another elements, making it resistant to simple removal methods. For example, while chlorine can be removed by standard carbon filters due to its volatility, fluorine requires more complex filtration due to its stableness and ionic nature.

Non-volatileness: Fluoride ions are non-volatile, meaning they do not evaporate with water after heating up. This prevents removal by simple distillation without additional specialized stages, as fluorine remains in the boiling chamber.

Specific disposal methods needed: To effectively remove fluorine, more advanced and costly methods are needed, including:Inverted osmosis (RO), which penetrates water through a membrane that blocks fluorine and another dissolved ions.
Activated alumina filters which usage material specially designed for the adsorption of fluoride ions.
Ion exchange resins that convert fluoride ions to another harmless ions.

Cost and availability: These specialized methods can be costly and require maintenance, making them little available for individual usage or in areas without advanced water treatment facilities.



Due to these factors, the removal of fluorine requires a more complex filtration technology, so it is hard to destruct fluorine from water after its addition.



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Source: The Associated Press

Published: September 15, 2024 20:22

The latest US government study suggests a link between advanced levels of fluorine in drinking water and reduced IQ in children. investigation indicates the request for further analysis of the effects of fluorine on the neurological wellness of the youngest.


The US government study indicates a possible link between higher levels of fluorine in drinking water and reduced IQ in children

Studies propose that children exposed to higher levels of fluorine may have IQ lower by 2 to 5 points
Further analysis of the wellness effects of fluorine, especially on the neurological improvement of children, is required - besides during pregnancy


Fluoride a decreased IQ in children. There's a study from the U.S.

A late published United States government study has sparked discussions on the impact of fluoride in drinking water on the intellectual improvement of children. A paper based on an analysis of erstwhile studies indicates a possible link between elevated levels of fluorine and decreased IQ in children. This is the first specified message of the Centers for illness Control and Prevention, which with "moderate certainty" they confirm specified a connection.

Fluoride has long been recognised as a beneficial substance for tooth health, preventing caries by rebuilding minerals lost as a consequence of regular consumption. The study produced by the National Toxicology Programme, which is part of the U.S. Department of wellness and Welfare, summarises investigation conducted in various countries specified as Canada, China, India, Iran, Pakistan and Mexico. These studies have shown that drinking water containing more than 1.5 milligrams of fluorine per litre is associated with a simplification in IQ in children.


The request for further investigation into the effects of fluoride on children

Although the study does not specify, as long as the points can decrease IQ depending on the level of vulnerability to fluorine, any studies propose that children exposed to higher concentrations of fluorine may have IQ lower by 2 to 5 points.

The current recommendations of the U.S. wellness authorities regarding the level of water fluorization are 0.7 milligrams per litre, while earlier, for 5 decades, the recommended advanced limit was 1.2 milligrams.

The planet wellness Organization has established a safe level of fluorine in drinking water of 1.5 milligrams per litre. The study shows that around 0.6% of the U.S. population, or about 1.9 million people, uses water supply systems in which fluoride levels exceed this limit.

The paper does not make clear conclusions on the risks associated with lower levels of fluorine and stresses the request for further investigation in this area. Nor does he address the issue of the impact of advanced levels of fluorine on adult health.

In the United States, they've been fluorizing water since the 1940s.

The past of water fluorization in the United States dates back to the 1940s erstwhile fluorine was first added to water supply in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1950, the national wellness authorities recommended water fluorization to prevent caries, and this practice continued even after the appearance of toothpaste with fluorine. In 2015, the recommended level of fluorization was lowered to counter fluorosis – a condition manifested by stains on teeth that became more common among American children.

In fresh years, there have been more and more studies showing the possible impact of higher levels of fluoride on brain development, especially in children at the phase of pregnancy and those already born. Animal studies have shown that fluorine can affect neurochemistry and cell function in brain areas liable for learning, memory and executive functions.

Fluoride is an crucial subject of American wellness protection

In 2006, the U.S. National investigation Council drew attention to any tiny evidence from China suggesting neurological effects of vulnerability to advanced levels of fluorine, and called for further investigation into its impact on intelligence. After years of research, the National Toxicology Programme launched a review of the available studies in 2016 to find whether fresh measures were needed to reduce the level of fluorine.

The final version of the study was repeatedly delayed, and earlier versions were criticized by various technological communities. However, as the manager of the National Toxicology Programme stressed, Rick Woychik, "the fluoride is specified an crucial subject for society and public wellness that it was essential to thoroughly examine technological evidence".

Some researchers believe that pregnant women should consider reducing the intake of fluorine, not only from water, but besides from any types of tea. They besides point out that it would be worth requiring information on the content of fluorine on the labels of beverages.