Too Much Fluoride Is Bad

Well, too much of anything is bad--but in this case the topic is fluoride. But don't start dusting off your anti-Communist books quite yet. The National Academies' National Research Council released a report advising the EPA to lower the maximum amount allowed in drinking water (currently 4 mg/L). This really has nothing to do with adding it artificially.

The report does not examine the health risks or benefits of the artificially fluoridated water that millions of Americans drink, which contains 0.7 to 1.2 mg/L of fluoride. Although many municipalities add fluoride to drinking water for dental health purposes, certain communities' water supplies or individual wells contain higher amounts of naturally occurring fluoride; industrial pollution can also contribute to fluoride levels in water. Because high amounts of fluoride can be toxic, EPA places a cap, or maximum contaminant level, on fluoride concentrations in drinking water in order to prevent adverse health effects.

This isn't really that interesting--so why do I bring it up? Just because it is a hot-button issue from time to time [cough, in Utah] and news services are picking up the story. Just making sure we're clear on what the report is about.