FDA Proposes Updated Standards For Fluoride Added To Bottled Water

The Food and Drug Administration has recently proposed to reduce the allowed level of fluoride that manufacturers can add to bottled water.

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In 1973, the FDA set quality standards for bottled water, including allowable levels for fluoride, based on the Public Health Service's 1962 standards for drinking water.

These standards provided for 1.4-2.4 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water, based on annual average daily maximum air temperatures.

In 2015, PHS changed its recommendation to 0.7 mg / L for community water systems that add fluoride to dental health.

The FDA is now proposing to lower its level to comply with the PHS recommendation, since bottled water is often used at home instead of tap water. The level of 0.7 mg / L "is based on the results of evolving research on optimal fluoride concentrations that balance the benefits of fluoride in preventing tooth decay with its risk of causing dental fluorosis, a condition Mostly characterized by white patches on the teeth, "said the FDA in its proposal.

But some scientists think this level is still too high.

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

And a study conducted in 2017 by Morteza Bashash found that pregnant women exposed to higher fluoride levels gave birth to children whose IQ and ADHD cases were higher. Bashash is an adjunct professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.

The International Bottled Water Association, a professional group, said it was supportive of the FDA's proposal to revise the quality standard for fluoride added to bottled water, CNN reported.

"Most companies are way below" the proposed limit, according to Jill Culora, a spokeswoman for the badociation. "The proposed rule takes into account the many sources of fluoride in people's diets and will further reduce the risk of dental fluorosis, while providing an optimal level of fluoride to help prevent tooth decay."

You can read the FDA proposal here.

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