Is Too Much Fluoride Lowering IQs?

Already controversial in the water sector, fluoride now appears to be threatening the safety of Maine drinking water.

"A new study out of Maine suggests that residents across the New England state are regularly subjected to drinking water containing double the amount of fluoride considered to be dangerous by federal guidelines," RT reported. This fluoride is occurring naturally and is not a result of florination.

The study drew on voluntary samples from private wells. Ten different towns tested high for fluoride. "The tests were conducted between 2005 and 2009, according to the Maine [Center for Disease Control]. The dangerously high levels were found to exceed levels recommended by the [federal] EPA," the Portland Press Herald reported.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended fluoride level in drinking water for good oral health is 0.7 mg/L (milligrams per liter).

Residents using private wells may need to overhaul their water monitoring practices.

"The water trickling from the tap—unlike water from its public water sources—goes untested and is not subject to any state or federal guidelines. And although homeowners are encouraged to get their water regularly tested to ensure that worrisome levels of bacteria or naturally occurring minerals [including fluoride] have not crept in, many residents do not follow that advice," Scientific American reported.

Known for its benefits to teeth, fluoride can have various adverse impacts if consumed in high quantities, including potential teeth discoloration and bone damage. But the scariest prospect is this: Research suggests fluoride can also have an adverse impact on IQ.

"A 2012 review article examined some two dozen relevant studies performed outside the U.S.—mostly in China but also a couple in Iran—and found that high fluoride exposures reduce children’s IQs by an average of about seven points. (The studies did not all account for exposures to other potentially harmful substances such as lead, but the sheer volume of them does raise concerns about this association)," Scientific American reported.

If those studies hold water, Maine residents should be concerned. The fluoride levels detected in Maine "were similar to levels referenced" in the China and Iran studies, the report said.

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