Human Toxicity, Environmental Impact and Legal Implications of

HUMAN TOXICITY, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF WATER FLUORIDATION
The link between fluoride exposure and weakening bone strength was
accepted by the entire body of the U.S. Scientific Committee of the National
Research Council in their review in 2006. 714
It is interesting to note that a recent study examining the prevalence of eight
chronic conditions in people aged over 50 in the Republic of Ireland (ROI)
found that musculoskeletal pain was the most widely reported condition with
a prevalence of 40%. 715 Remarkably, it is estimated that there are
approximately 585,000 people in Ireland who suffer from chronic pain
representing 36% of all households in Ireland. It is also known that up to 50% of
Type ii diabetes sufferers may develop chronic pain associated with nerve
damage. 716 It is now known that exposure to fluoride is a major risk factor
associated with developing many chronic pain conditions.
This is a very significant fact given it has been scientifically observed and
documented that the early stages of (sub-clinical) fluorosis is usually
associated with stiffness, backache and joint pain which may suggest the
diagnosis of rheumatism, rhematopid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and
osteomalacia. 717 , 718 , 719 , 720 , 721 The U.S. ATSDR reported how in a study of 10
individuals with clinical manifestations of fluorosis 722 , similar to those
documented in the Irish study noted above, that a diet with adequate levels
of calcium, vitamins C and E, and other antioxidants and access to drinking
water with low levels of fluoride resulted in a decrease in urinary and blood
fluoride levels and after a period of one year there was complete recovery of
muscular weakness, polyuria, polydypsea, pain and rigidity in the joints as well
as gastrointestinal complaints. 723
Other musculoskeletal disorders/diseases include Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) a
long-term disease that causes inflammation of the joints between the spinal
714 National Research Council. (2006). Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of
EPA's Standards. National Academies Press, Washington D.C. p. 146.
715 Multimorbidity and Disability in the Older Population of Ireland, Longitudinal Study
of Ageing (TILDA),2011.
716 Murphy, P. Neuropathic Pain, Chronic Pain, Oct 2008, Health Supplement
Irish Indepenent Newspapers.
717 Groth, E (1973).The Issues of Science and Public Policy. Air pollution Control in the
San Francisco Bay Area, and Fluoridation of community water schemes. PH.D
Dissertation. Department of Biological Sciences, Stranford University, May 1973.
718 Teotia SPS, ET al. (1976) Symposium on the Non-Skeletal Phase of Chronic Fluorosis:
The Joints. Fluoride. 9(1) 19-24.
719 Cook. HA. 1971. Fluoride Studies in a Patient with Arthritis. The Lancet 1. 817
720 Pak CY. (1989). Fluoride and osteoporosis. Proceedings of the Society for
Experimental Biology and Medicine 191: 278-86.
721 Boivin G, et al. (1989). Skeletal fluorosis: histomorphometric analysis of bone
changes and bone fluoride content in 29 patients. Bone 10:89-99.
722 Susheela AK, Bhatnagar M. 2002. Reversal of fluoride induced cell injury
through elimination of fluoride and consumption of diet rich in essential
nutrients and antioxidants. Mol Cell Biochem 234/235:335-340.
723 Toxicological Profile for Fluorides, Hydrogen Fluoride, and Fluorine, U.S. Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Dept Of Health & Human Services, 2003, P166
www.enviro.ie Page 124