Key Takeaways:
- A federal judge in California ruled that the EPA must reassess fluoride levels in drinking water due to potential risks of lowering children’s IQ.
- Environmental groups presented evidence linking fluoride exposure to cognitive impairments in children, even at low levels.
- The ruling could lead to significant regulatory changes affecting water fluoridation practices nationwide.
[SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.] – On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen ruled in favor of several environmental groups, acknowledging that the current “optimal” fluoride levels set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) poses an unreasonable risk of lowering children’s IQ. This decision came after a rigorous two-week bench trial in San Francisco, which concluded in February.
Judge Chen didn’t mandate a specific course of action for the EPA but emphasized that regulatory measures could range from requiring warning labels to an outright ban on adding fluoride to drinking water.
The Science Behind Fluoride Exposure
For decades, municipalities across the United States have added fluoride to public water supplies at levels around 0.7 milligrams per liter. This practice was allegedly aimed at improving dental health and preventing tooth decay. However, recent scientific studies suggest that even low levels of fluoride exposure can be neurotoxic, particularly to developing brains.
Environmental groups like Food & Water Watch, Fluoride Action Network, and Moms Against Fluoridation presented expert testimonies indicating a statistically significant association between fluoride exposure and reduced IQ in children, even at levels previously considered safe.
Judge Chen noted, “The trial evidence establishes that even if there is some uncertainty about the precise level at which fluoride becomes hazardous, under even the most conservative estimates, there’s not enough of a margin between the accepted hazard level and actual human exposure to find that fluoride is safe.”
