Is this some kind of pollution?

Question

I just saw a classroom video that said water pollution means anything that is in the water that doesn't naturally belong there. By that definition, isn't fluoride a pollutant?

Answer 1

:: Fluoride (fluor) in Water is a Health Risk ::
For more important informations about the dangers of fluor:
http://www.fluoridealert.org/


Is fluoride in water really beneficial for health or does it cause other problems?

"Dear EarthTalk: Why do some people complain about fluoride in drinking water and toothpaste? I thought it was beneficial for dental health?"
-- Becky Johnston, Shoreline, WA

Communities began adding fluoride to water supplies in the early 1940s after decades of studies into why some Colorado residents were exhibiting a discoloration or "mottling" of the teeth but at the same time very low rates of actual decay.

The culprit turned out to be high concentrations of a naturally-occurring fluoride that was running off into the water from Pike's Peak after rainfalls. Research later concluded that adding small, controlled amounts of fluoride into public water supplies would act as a form of community-wide cavity prevention without causing the undesirable mottling known at the time as "Colorado stain."

Today, supporters of fluoridation cite research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control showing that the very inexpensive fluoridation of drinking water has since correlated to significant reductions in incidences of tooth decay (15-40 percent) in communities across the country.

But skeptics worry we may be getting too much of a good thing. While small amounts of fluoride will prevent tooth decay, excessive amounts can lead not only to irreversible tooth discoloration (today called "fluorosis") but also to other health issues, including an increased risk of bone breakage and osteoporosis.

The problem, says Fluoride Action Network (FAN), which is opposed to fluoridation, is that the very water supplies that are treated for dental purposes are also used in the making of many common food products-from baby formula and cereal to juices, sodas, wines, beers and even fresh produce. And with most toothpastes also adding fluoride, many people are ingesting far more fluoride than they should.

The main concern for most people is the discoloration of children's second teeth once the baby teeth are gone. Besides being embarrassing, there is no cure. And some doctors worry that excessive fluoride may actually be promoting tooth decay rather than preventing it-and harming kids in other ways, particularly as they get older. FAN cites studies showing how low-to-moderate doses of fluoride can lead to eczema, reduced thyroid activity, hyperactivity, IQ deficits, premature puberty and even bone cancer.

On the other side of the debate, concerns have risen that our increased reliance on non-fluoridated bottled water instead of tap water may be leading to increases in tooth decay (some bottled waters have added fluoride). However, speaking in a May 2002 UPI Science News article, John W. Stamm, dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a spokesperson for the American Dental Association, said, "It's very important to realize that there are many sources for body fluids ...The fact that one may be consuming variable amounts of bottled water seems to me to be insufficient reason to be concerned about a fluoride deficient diet."

Avoiding fluoride is difficult for those whose local water is fluoridated. And the only filters that can strain fluoride out of water are expensive ones that employ reverse osmosis, activated alumina or distillation. Switching to unfluoridated toothpaste -- many varieties are available from natural health retailers -- is one way to cut down on fluoride intake, especially for those who swallow toothpaste when they are brushing.

http://www.alternet.org/environment/55161/

Answer 2

A friend, knowing my interest in water-related subjects, sent me a tract from an anti-fluoride group. Most of their evidence was anecdotal and hardly scientific but one honest-to-goodness study caught my eye. It compared IQs of people from two villages in China. One village had very high fluoride in the water from the rocks in the aquifer and relatively low IQs. The other village had less fluoride in their water and higher IQs. The peculiar thing was that this second village had precisely the amount of fluoride that is added to municipal water supplies. I twitted my friend about the right amount of fluoride actually raising the IQs of the people who drank it.

People who don't want fluorine in their water but get it in the municipal supply can use a charcoal filter to remove it. That costs far less than putting in and maintaining two water supplies.

Answer 3

Fluoridated water is not drinkable for human beings and may be animals.

But how can we say some thing is polluted if it is due to natural causes such as soil and underground rich in fluorine.

Pollution means all man-made pollution or contamination.

Answer 4

Not if you think it belongs there. That's why instead of having a monopoly, every city should have TWO water systems: one with clean water and one with fluoride. That way you can decide for yourself what kind of "water" you want to drink.

Answer 5

air pollution noise pollution water pollution soil contamination light pollution thermal pollution visual pollution

Answer 6

Some water contains natural levels of flouride and some does not.

Answer 7

Yes. So is chlorine. However, in regards to chlorine, even though it is a toxin to humans, in small amounts it may be preferable to catching a deadly infectious disease from contaminated tap water.

Answer 8

i don't think so but that can be

maybe she is right
but no one knows
but god