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The optimal or acceptable flouride in drinking water according to US guidelines is .7-1.2mg/L. Australia recommends a range of .6-1.1mg/L. Other countries have different guidelines. Some do not fluoridate where levels are low. One thing that all authorities agree on is that more is not better. When naturally occurring levels exceed the optimal dose, de-fluoridation is recommended. This can be accomplished by percolating the freshwater through activated alumina, bone meal, tri-calcium phosphate or bone char. Coagulation with alum will reduce the content, as will adding lime. The lime adheres to the fluoride, making it easier to filter out both substances. Reverse osmosis reduces fluoride content by 65-95% depending on the effectiveness of the model and the size of the porous membranes. Distillation removes all fluoride. Distillation and reverse osmosis systems remove all naturally occurring minerals. Fluoride is not a mineral. It is considered an element. The lower level of the acceptable flouride in drinking water was established in order to reduce the risk of cavities and tooth decay. The maximum level was set in order to prevent bone deterioration and tooth discolorations that will occur if intake is too high. High doses mostly affect children’s developing teeth. When the naturally occurring level is very high, regular consumption can cause weakened bones. Acute poisoning has occurred when treatment facilities accidentally added too much to the community’s freshwater supply. The symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Since those symptoms are common to many other illnesses, they can be overlooked or blamed on another illness. The worst US case occurred in 1992 in Alaska. 262 people became ill and one person died as a result of over-fluoridation. The amount present in the public supply exceeded the acceptable flouride in drinking water level by over 200 times. Concentrations of 220mg/L were found in some areas. One of the concerns about fluoridation has to do with the naturally occurring presence of lead in fluoride compounds used by treatment facilities. While the toxicity of most fluoride compounds is low, the toxicity of lead is very high. It can cause brain damage and neurological problems, high blood pressure and developmental delays. Exposure to lead has even been cited as a cause of anti-social behavior among teenagers. Luckily, there is something that the homeowner can do. Assuming that the acceptable flouride in drinking water will help protect our teeth from cavities and knowing that the element is tasteless and odorless, it poses no risk to the family. The lead that may accompany it does pose a risk. Affordable filters can be purchased to reduce lead by 99.99% or more. This is not an expensive reverse osmosis system, but a simple granular carbon system with ion exchange as an added step. Another step called submicron filtration protects against the presence of illness-causing cysts. The three steps should also reduce your risk from accidents at the treatment facility. But, if you are warned by your provider that the level of acceptable flouride in drinking water has been exceeded, don’t take any chances. Follow the facility’s instructions to the letter. Gordon Hall is fervent about enabling you and everyone to live a healthy lifestyle, and is an ardent reviewer of Water Purification Systems. Visit his website now at Water-Safe-And-Pure.com to discover which Water Purification Systems Gordon recommends after far ranging comparisons.
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