Fluoride in US drinking water poses an ‘unreasonable risk’ to children’s brains, according to a federal judge who has asked the Government to step in.
Judge Edward Chen in San Francisco has called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to further regulate the fluoride in tap water because of growing evidence it lowers the IQ of minors.
He didn’t say what measures should be taken, but a spokesman for the EPA told DailyMail.com that they were now reviewing the decision.
In his ruling, Chen said: ‘The scientific literature in the record provides a high level of certainty that a hazard is present; fluoride is associated with reduced IQ.’
The issue around fluoride in tap water is controversial because its introduction is considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century due to its effectiveness in reducing tooth decay in children.
The above map shows estimated fluoride concentrations in community water systems between 2006 and 2011. It was published in 2023. Counties that are colored red have more than double the recommended level of fluoride in their water
The court did not conclude with certainty that fluoride does damage children’s brains, but said that it posed an ‘unreasonable risk’ which the EPA should investigate.
More than 200million Americans drink water that contains fluoride, or 75 percent of the population, more than in any other country in the world.
The mineral was added in the 1970s after studies showed it could prevent cavities, with the CDC now estimating it saves $6.5billion every year in dental costs.
But a landmark Government report published last month also warned that the mineral could harm children’s IQ in high concentrations.
It said that this could happen when fluoride levels were above 1.5 mg/L, with hundreds of thousands of American children thought to be exposed to these levels in areas of Texas, Illinois and New Mexico among others.
Results linked the highest levels with a five point drop.
The ruling was made in the US District Court for the Northern District of California on Tuesday.
Michael Connett, the lawyer for the advocacy groups that asked the courts to review the new report on fluoride, said in a statement Wednesday: ‘The court’s historic decision should help pave the way towards better and safer fluoride standards for all.’
A spokesperson for the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) added: ‘History has been made.
‘After seven years of pursuing legal action against the EPA over the risk posed to developing brains by the practice of water fluoridation, the [court] has just ruled on behalf of FAN and the plaintiffs in a precedent-setting court case.’
The EPA currently says fluoride levels should not be above 4 mg/L in order to avoid skeletal fluorosis, a potentially crippling disorder causing weaker bones.
But in 2006, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, the federal Government’s primary scientific advisory institute, recommended that the EPA lower its limit in order to protect children.
There has been controversy over fluoride in the water supply for years, with hundreds of communities voting against its use (Above is a campaign sign from Kennebunk, Maine)
The above picture from the court case shows Michael Connett, the lawyer for the advocacy group
The World Health Organization says the safe limit is about 1.5 mg/L.
And the Government report published last month found that when fluoride levels are above 1.5 mg/L this can cause damage to children’s IQ.
For comparison, in the US most areas currently fluoridate their water supply at about 0.7 mg/L.
This is well above the safe limit for pregnant women suggested by some studies of about 0.4 mg/L. Bottled water often does not contain fluoride.
The court case was brought by Food and Water Watch and FAN among other groups after the EPA denied a petition to outlaw the 75-year-old practice of adding fluoride to drinking water to prevent cavities.
Dentists, water utilities and chemical policy attorneys are among the groups that have tracked the case.
