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#BrainDevelopment

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In Millions of Homes, High #Fluoride in #TapWater May Be a Concern

In communities across the U.S., water contains levels of fluoride some experts say could be harm developing brains.

"The town of #Seagraves sits on the high plains of #WestTexas, not far from the New Mexico border. Nearby, water pumped from the #OgallalaAquifer irrigates fields of peanuts and cotton.

"Dissolved in that West Texas water are copious amounts of fluoride. The tap water in Seagraves contains levels of the mineral that many experts believe could have #neurotoxic effects, lowering children’s IQs. The science on that effect is unsettled, and most experts say better research is needed. But nearly everyone agrees that at some point, high fluoride levels ought to be a matter of greater concern — even if they don’t always agree on what that point is.

"Many cities add low levels of fluoride to drinking water in a bid to prevent tooth decay, but the policy has long been controversial. Lost in that debate are the roughly 3 million Americans whose water naturally contains higher concentrations of fluoride — often at levels that even some fluoridation advocates now acknowledge could have neurodevelopmental effects.

"People in Seagraves and similarly affected communities are unlikely to be notified of those potential risks. Federal and state regulations require water utilities to tell customers receiving high-fluoride water that it could leave brown patches on children’s teeth, or even, at high levels, cause a rare skeletal condition.

"But, at least so far, the emerging science on neurological effects is not reflected in regulations. Consumer notices rarely, if ever, mention the possibility that fluoride could affect brain development. Nor do they contain advisories for pregnant women, even as many scientists, including some federal government researchers, now say there’s substantial evidence that such elevated fluoride levels can be harmful to developing fetuses."

undark.org/2024/05/06/tap-wate

Undark Magazine · In Millions of Homes, High Fluoride in Tap Water May Be a ConcernIn communities across the U.S., tap water contains levels of fluoride that some experts say could harm developing brains.