The FDA will impose tighter limits on fluoride in bottled water – but some say it's still too high

United States The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing tighter limits for fluoride in bottled water.

The proposed rule would lower the allowable level of fluoride to 0.7 milligrams per liter, slightly less than the currently allowed level of 0.8 milligrams per liter.

This is in line with the 2015 US Public Health Service recommendation that 0.7 milligrams per liter is ideal for community water systems that add fluoride for the prevention of tooth decay.

In addition, the rule would apply only to fluoride added by the manufacturer, not to the level allowed in bottles containing fluoride from spring water.

However, some officials said the proposed new level was still too high and put consumers at risk for bone disease and neurological problems.

The FDA has proposed lowering the allowable level of fluoride in bottled water to 0.7 milligrams per liter, slightly less than the currently allowed limit of 0.8 milligrams per liter (file image).

Fluoride is a natural mineral found in soil, rocks and water.

It is added to toothpastes, mouthwashes and drinking water because studies have shown that water with optimal fluoride levels can reduce the prevalence of tooth decay.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fluoridation of water can reduce tooth decay in children by up to 60%.

However, experts have found that fluoride can be dangerous at high concentrations.

This includes dental fluorosis, which occurs when light white streaks appear on the teeth when young children consume too much fluoride.

It can also cause skeletal fluorosis, a disease caused by too much fluoride in the bones.

As the bones harden and become less elastic, the risk of pain and fracture increases and may eventually lead to loss of mobility.

Some health officials are calling for even lower limits than those proposed by the FDA, saying that dental problems are not their only concern.

An analysis conducted in 2012 by the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health examined studies in which children had been exposed to high levels of fluoride in the water.

The researchers found that the children lost an average of seven IQ points on the tests.

A study conducted in 2017 by the Dalla Lana School of Public Health in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, found that greater exposure to fluoride before birth reduced test scores for cognitive function.

"Since fluoride can damage brain development, I would recommend maintaining the maximum concentration of fluoride in bottled water at a level below 0.7 mg / L," said Dr. Philippe Grandjean, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Health at TH Chan CNN School.

Christopher Neurath, research director of the American Environmental Health Studies Project, part of the Fluoride Action Network advocacy group, said he did not think the proposed new limit was enough to protect children.

The decision proposed by the FDA to reduce the allowable amount of fluoride in bottled water to 0.7 mg / L is too little, too late, "he wrote in a statement to DailyMail.com.

"We are particularly concerned by the increasingly recent scientific evidence that fluoride exposure before birth and at the beginning of life is neurotoxic and may result in lowered IQ.

FDA action will do little to control current rates of fluorosis or reduce the risk of neurotoxicity in the fetus and young children. "