New Fluoride standard proposed for bottled water

Lower concentration level standard for fluoride in bottled water has been proposed by the US Food and Drug Administration. However, some of the scientists and environmental groups believe that the proposed limit is still too high and poses a danger to human health. If the newly proposed level is finalized then the new regulation would lower allowable levels of fluoride in domestically packaged. And imported bottled water to 0.7 milligrams per litre.

It is a slight reduction from the current standard of 0.8 milligrams per litre that is allowed by the FDA. The proposed standard would apply only to bottled water with added fluoride. It will not affect the allowable levels of fluoride in the bottled water that can contain fluoride from source water. The proposed rule by the FDA is in line with a 2015 recommendation from the US Publis Health Service, part of the US Department of Health and Human Services which has suggested 0.7 milligrams per litre and is optimal fluoride concentration for community water systems.

The FDA in its statement says, “The new rule is based on findings from evolving research on optimal concentrations of fluoride that balances fluoride’s benefits in preventing tooth decay with its risk of causing dental fluorosis, a condition most often characterized by white patches on teeth”. Dental Fluorosis happens due to too much fluoride over a long period of time when adult teeth are forming under the gums.

However, some of the scientists are concerned far more than just fluorosis. Dr. Phillippe Grandjean, an adjunct professor of environmental health at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in an email wrote that fluoride can damage brain development and he recommends maximum fluoride concentration in bottled water to be lower than 0.7 mg/L. Christopher Neurath, a research director said that there are rapidly increasing scientific studies that show neurotoxicity to fluoride with research showing a direct link between the children’s IQ and their level of fluoride exposure in the womb.

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