In this month’s edition of the Water Technology^® Contaminant Insider, Tanya Lubner, Norm Marowitz, Peter Meyers and Pauli Undesser share their thoughts on fluoridation of municipal water supplies.

Water Technology: In your opinion, do the benefits of fluoridation outweigh its risks? Or vice-versa? Why?

Tanya Lubner: Not being a dental professional, I can’t speak to the benefits of fluoridation and I can’t judge if the benefits outweigh the risks. I also don’t know if those risks are being under-reported. Furthermore, unless they are trained toxicologists or licensed physicians, water treatment professionals should not be offering their opinions to consumers on this matter. What we as water treatment professionals can say is that if consumers are concerned about consuming fluoride from their drinking water, point-of-entry/point-of-use treatment technologies are available that can decrease the amount of fluoride in the consumers’ drinking water.

Norm Marowitz: I don’t believe fluoridating water is necessary in a society that stresses brushing your teeth at least twice per day with fluoridated toothpaste. Mass ingestion of fluoride through drinking water is just another unnecessary situation, particularly for kids. Teaching kids to floss and brush regularly is more desirable than adding something unnecessary to the entire water supply for everyone. There are also fluoride treatments available to kids that are having problems.

Peter Meyers: When I was growing up every fourth Friday at 10:00 a.m. the air raid horn went off and I ducked under my desk at school, my arms covering my head to protect me from flying glass. We firmly believed our government when they told us the “commies” might bomb us at any moment and that we would be safe if we hid under our desks. Later I found lots of other things our government was less than truthful about. “Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous Communist plot we have ever had to face?”*

Despite the occasional dishonesty I still trust our government to some degree and tend to believe that government-sponsored studies are generally valid (at least the ones that haven’t been censored or altered). I like to see the data and not just anecdotal statements. High levels of fluoride (tens of ppm) are clearly a health risk. However, extrapolating health risks at lower levels from studies done at much higher concentrations of fluoride is not valid. The studies done at the lower concentrations used to fluoridate our public water supplies show little if any health risk. So overall, I do not see any evidence of a grand conspiracy to poison us.

Having said all that, I’m a firm believer not to add anything to water that isn’t absolutely necessary. I wouldn’t fluoridate my water simply because there isn’t any compelling reason to do so.

* From the film “Dr. Strangelove.”

Pauli Undesser: Unfortunately, I do not think that we have a sound review of the most current information to give an opinion on the risk:benefit of fluoridation. However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is evaluating the risk:benefit of fluoridation with the intent to provide the most current information early this year as stated in the press release on January 3, 2011.

	Dr. Tanya Lubner holds a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry and has been WQA’s Director of Education & Certification since 2005. In addition to overseeing WQA’s existing education and professional certification programs, she is directly involved in the development of new educational program and materials. Prior to joining WQA, Dr. Lubner was a sales engineer for a manufacturer of optical spectroscopy instrumentation.
	Norm Marowitz is a CPA and holds an MBA. He has approximately 30 years of diversified experience in public accounting, management consulting and senior management of both publicly held and private companies. He is president of Atlas Water Systems, Inc., Waltham, Mass., and a member of Water Technology®’s Advisory Board.
	Peter Meyers is technical director for ResinTech Inc. of West Berlin, N.J. He has more than 35 years of experience covering a wide range of ion exchange applications from demineralizers, polishers and softeners to industrial process design and operation.
	Pauli Undesser is the director of regulatory and technical affairs for the Water Quality Association (WQA). Undesser is also a gold seal toxicologist.