Human Toxicity, Environmental Impact and Legal Implications of

HUMAN TOXICITY, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF WATER FLUORIDATION
would make public drinking water fluoridation programmes unfeasible in light
of the dental fluorosis risk to children alone.
It is interesting to note therefore the previous findings of the York Review
estimated the prevalence of fluorosis at a water fluoride level of 1.0ppm to
be 48% and for fluorosis of aesthetic concern it was predicted to be 12.5% of
the total population. The York Review further estimated that the number of
people who would have to be exposed to water fluoride levels of 1.0ppm for
one additional person to develop fluorosis of any level is six.
It is plausible therefore, given the current and historical level of fluoridation of
public water supplies in Ireland, that 775,000 people are likely to have dental
fluorosis in the country. Of these, based on York estimates, approximately one
hundred and thirty thousand individuals will have fluorosis of aesthetic
concern in Ireland.
It would appear, however, that these estimates may be considered low given
the recent findings demonstrated that one one in three children in Ireland
have dental fluorosis. As water fluoridation commenced in 1967 every adult
born subsequently would be considered at high risk of having developed
dental fluorosis. The majority of these were bottle-fed as infants increasing
their exposure to risk. Approximately 2,500,000 adults are under the age of fifty
in Ireland. Based on current estimates 830,000 are likely to suffer dental
fluorosis with 8,300 individuals suffering severe dental fluorosis.
What it further highlights is that with 1,056,947 children under 18 years of age
in Ireland and up to 40% of youth (>400,000 individuals) demonstrating
chronic over-exposure to fluoride with definite fluorosis, the public water
supply can no longer be justified, based on the precautionary principle, as a
mechanism for exposing the population to fluoride. This is especially so when it
is known to potentially harm so many of those using it.
The precautionary principle or precautionary approach states that if an
action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or to
the environment, in the absence of scientific consensus that the action
or policy is harmful, the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on
those taking the action. This principle allows policy makers to make
discretionary decisions in situations where there is the possibility of harm
from taking a particular course or making a certain decision when
extensive scientific knowledge on the matter is lacking. The principle
implies that there is a social responsibility to protect the public from
exposure to harm, when scientific investigation has found a plausible
risk. These protections can be relaxed only if further scientific findings
emerge that provide sound evidence that no harm will result. In the law
of the European Union, the application of the precautionary principle
has been made a statutory requirement. 824 The Government of Ireland
in continuing with the policy of water fluoridation is therefore in violation
of the Treaty of the European Union.
824 Recuerda, Miguel A. (2006). "Risk and Reason in the European Union Law".
European Food and Feed Law Review 5
www.enviro.ie Page 144