Human Toxicity, Environmental Impact and Legal Implications of

HUMAN TOXICITY, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF WATER FLUORIDATION
varies from 16.8 to 58.6pc 62 with hundreds of millions of gallons of fluoridated
water being lost both in and on the ground. This results in the indirect release
of the pollutant fluoride into soils, groundwater and surface waters.
Therefore approximately 4500kg of fluoride is discharged every day through
leakage alone, representing 164,000kg of fluoride discharged to the
environment including groundwater annually. With regard to the remainder
of water treated comprising some 600 millions litres, 1.971000kg (1,971 tonnes)
of fluoride is added to it annually. 63 Approximately 10,643kg of the total
amount is used in drinking water by households and 1,960,357kg ends up as
household or industrial wastewater from toilets, washing clothes etc. This
enormous environmental load of fluoride is collected in wastewater treatment
plants and ultimately ends up being discharged as a pollutant directly to
surface water and the environment.
The EPA has also documented that fluoride binds strongly to sediment and
bioaccumulates in the environment. 64 The Irish EPA have acknowledged and
reported that major anthropogenic sources of fluoride include fluoridation of
public water supplies, leakage of mains water from the drinking water
distribution system and municipal wastewater treatment plants. 65 In the latter
report the Irish EPA have also acknowledged that potential waters at risk from
fluoride pollutant include receiving waters located downstream of both
drinking- and waste-water treatment plants and areas where there is
significant leakage from the drinking water distribution system.
The Agency further reported a number of exceedances of the standard for
fluoride associated with the infiltration of drinking water into surface waters as
well as leaking drinking water distribution mains into groundwater aquifers
which the agency regarded as a significant potential source of fluoride (as
drinking water contains fluoride at levels of between 800 and 1000 μg/l
particularly in urban areas).
Remarkably approximately half of one % of the fluoride added to drinking
water ends up being used for the purpose it was intended. The remainder is
discharged as household and industrial wastewater into the public sewer. It is
astonishing that approximately 99.45% of the fluoridated water is not used for
the purpose for which the policy is undertaken. 66
62 The Irish Times - Saturday, January 8, 2011
63 Forum on Fluoridation Report 2002
64 McCarthy, T., Duggan, S., McCarthy J., Lambe, A. Regulatory Impact Analysis of
the proposed Surface Water Classification Systems including Environmental Quality
Standards Final Report, Environmental Protection Agency December 2007
65 Clenaghan, C,. O‘Neill N, Page, D., Dangerous Substances Regulations
National Implementation Report, 2005 Under the Water Quality (Dangerous
Substances) Regulations, 2001 (S.I. No. 12 of 2001), Environmental Protection Agency,
2006.
66 Commission on Health and Social Issues (GSK) GSK - "Bericht der Gesundheits-und
Sozialkomission des Grossen Rates zum Anzug Rene Brigger betreffend Fluoridierung
des Basler Trinkwassers" [9229/P975485]. 2003 Report which led to the cessation of
water fluoridation in Basel.
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