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Why is Oroville (and Your Town?) Adding Industrial Waste to its Water Supply?

by jenny miller
Many towns in California, like Oroville, are still adding industrial waste in the form of fluoride products to their water supply. This practice is almost non-existent in Europe, and the dental health of children in those countries is not worse than ours, in many cases it's better. Originally started as a way for the aluminum and other industries to dispose of their toxic waste, fluoridation has long been obsolete.
Although 97% of the countries in Europe have abolished water fluoridation, in the U.S., 66% of the water supply is still fluoridated. However, numerous towns in the U.S. have voted to either end it, or prevent its implementation. In CA, these include Davis, Napa, Olivehurst, Santa Cruz, Redding, Sonoma, Modesto, Watsonville, Santa Barbara, and Cotati. Chico is among the towns that never introduced it.

The products used in fluoridation (sodium fluoride or fluorosilicic acid) are classified as hazardous waste products of the fertilizer and aluminum industries. They are even more toxic than naturally-occurring fluoride, since they contain other components, such as arsenic and lead. Even naturally- occurring fluoride, in areas with high concentrations, has been found to have extremely adverse health effects.

According to WHO, there has been no increase in tooth decay in the countries that have discontinued this practice, and in some countries the rates of tooth decay continued to decrease after fluoridation was ended. In the U.S., the state of Kentucky, which has been fluoridating the longest, and has achieved almost complete fluoridation of its water supply, has by far the worst dental health of any state. A study in Canada found less tooth decay in un-fluoridated areas vs. fluoridated areas. When John Colquhoun (Chief Dental Officer of Auckland, NZ) did a study of the effects of fluoridation worldwide, he discovered, to his astonishment, that people in countries using fluoridation had the worst teeth.

Where did the idea of fluoridation come from? The nuclear and aluminum industries needed a way to dispose of their toxic fluoride waste. They hired mass public relations guru, Edward Bernays (nephew of Sigmund Freud), to convince the public that industrial waste was good for us.

Apart from the high fiscal cost to the cities of adding industrial fluoride to their water supply, fluoridation has been associated with increased rates of pitted and discolored teeth, and increased bone problems, such as hip fractures and skeletal fluorosis. Some subgroups are particularly susceptible to adverse effects, such as people who require a higher-than-average water intake (those exposed to very hot weather, athletes, manual laborers, diabetics), tea drinkers, and even more especially, farm workers, due to the high levels of fluoride in pesticides. Parents are cautioned not to give babies formula using fluoridated water, but few parents know that.

There has been a massive increase in the public’s exposure to fluoride since this practice was first introduced—from pesticides, Teflon pans, food, wine, tea, air pollution, antibiotics, and toothpaste, so adding more fluoride to the tap water brings the total exposure greatly over the safety limit for many people. For this reason, many civil rights and environmental groups have come out in opposition to the practice. Maybe it’s time for Oroville to join other health-conscious communities, and stop adding industrial waste to its water.

SOURCES FOR THIS ARTICLE:

66% of US water supply is fluoridated. P. 15 of National Resource Council 2006 Report: Fluoride in Drinking Water, a Scientific Analysis of EPA standards. https://www.nap.edu/read/11571/chapter/3#15

Almost no countries in Europe fluoridate their water (France, Germany, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, absent from this list of fluoridated countries around the world. In the UK, ten percent of the population receives fluoridated water. Ireland used to be mostly fluoridated, but recent campaigns by no-fluoridation activists has reduced the percentage in that country considerably.) https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/014a47_0776b576cf1c49308666cef7caae934e.pdf

Cities in CA that fluoridate their water supply (Davis, Olivehurst, Cotati, Napa, Crescent City, Redding, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, Modesto, not included on list, as a result of votes to decline fluoridation. Chico is among the localities that never started.) https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/documents/fluoridation/Tables/Data2013.pdf

Forms of fluoride added to drinking water, and leaching of lead into water caused by fluoridation. National Resource Council’s 2006 Report: Fluoride in drinking water https://www.nap.edu/read/11571/chapter/4

Warnings re toxicity of fluorosilicic acid (primary fluoride additive to US drinking water.) http://reviewboard.ca/upload/project_document/EA1011-001_Hydroflosilicic_acid_MSDS.PDF

Fluoride additives used for fluoridation are currently sourced from the phosphate fertilizer industry—and ethical concerns regarding, p. 17 https://files.iaomt.org/wp-content/uploads/IAOMT-Comprehensive-Review-on-Artificial-Water-Fluoridation.pdf

Dangerous levels of heavy metals found in fluoride additives to drinking water, the most consistent being arsenic: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4090869/

Other factors that make industrial fluoride added to water supplies much more toxic than naturally-occuring fluoride. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3690253/

Naturally-occurring fluoride also harmful to health: high levels of natural fluoride in the water creates a condition diagnosed as bone disease (skeletal fluorosis): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03009740600759845?journalCode=irhe20

Survey of scientific literature indicated a causal connection between fluoridation and bone damage (fluorosis, bone cancer, skeletal fluorosis). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9161076

Levels of tooth decay not higher in non-fluoridated vs. fluoridated countries:
Study of children in Canada comparing fluoridated vs. non-fluoridated communities showed dental caries decreased in non-fluoridated areas, stayed the same in fluoridated communities.
http://cof-cof.ca/2001/12/maupome%c2%b4et-al-patterns-of-dental-caries-following-the-cessation-of-water-fluoridation/

Levels of tooth decay continued to decrease after Cuba ended fluoridation:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10601780

No increase in tooth decay after fluoride discontinued:
Nature https://www.nature.com/articles/322125a0
British Medical Journal https://www.bmj.com/content/335/7622/699.full

In all countries listed in links below, as in the U.S., dental disease continued to decline, whether or not the countries were fluoridated. These non-fluoridated countries had rates of dental problems lower than the U.S.—The Netherlands, the UK (10% of the country is fluoridated), Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland. These non-fluoridated countries had rates that were about the same as the US—Italy, Finland, Iceland, France.
https://www.mah.se/CAPP/Country-Oral-Health-Profiles/EURO/
https://www.mah.se/CAPP/Country-Oral-Health-Profiles/AMRO/

NZ Chief Dental Officer describes his research showing children in fluoridated countries had worse teeth than those in fluoridated countries:
https://fluorideinformationaustralia.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/why-i-changed-my-mind-about-water-fluoridation-by-john-colquhoun-1997.pdf

Cochrane Review, considered the “gold standard for scientific analysis” did not find any benefit to fluoridation re preventing caries in permanent teeth, and they did note an significant effect of increasing dental fluorosis (stained and pitted teeth). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26092033

Kentucky has the worst dental health in the nation (I did not include the link because it costs $3.95 to access each archived article. Instead I included the excerpt below.)
Ky. launching kids' dental health project - program to combat high Tooth-decay rate
October 14, 2009
Publication: Lexington Herald-Leader (KY)
Page: A1

FRANKFORT - While the stereotype of toothless Kentuckians is unfair, the state has a serious problem in dental health, Gov. Steve Beshear said Tuesday as he launched a three-year, $2.2 million initiative to improve the dental health of children in southern and Eastern Kentucky The initial focus, Beshear said, will be on creating a training curriculum to teach Kentucky dentists effective techniques to work with young children.

Once the curriculum is finalized, seminars and Web-based training will be offered, and mentors will work with local practitioners, Beshear said. The program will create up to 12 community coalitions to find dental health solutions in affected counties. It will also provide two sets of portable dental equipment that the communities could use.

**Beshear said Kentucky led the nation in 2004 in terms of the number of people age 65 or older who had lost teeth. About 27 percent of Kentuckians of all ages had lost six or more teeth to decay or gum disease, compared with 18 percent in the rest of the nation, he said.
Copyright (c) 2009 Lexington Herald-Leader


Kentucky is the state with the highest level of fluoridation of any state:
‘In 2004, 99.6% of people in Kentucky were receiving fluoridated water. This ranks Kentucky first of all the states.” https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/dehp/Documents/sept2005.pdf

The origin of fluoridation in the need for disposal of fluoride waste from the Manhatten Project and other industrial processes. https://www.projectcensored.org/18-manhattan-project-covered-up-effects-of-fluoride-toxicity/

The origin of fluoridation as a waste product from the aluminum industry http://www.fluoride-history.de/chemicals.htm

Edward Bernays was the public relations mastermind hired to convince the American public that toxic waste is good for us; https://www.democracynow.org/2004/6/17/the_fluoride_deception_how_a_nuclear (see also Wikipedia entry for Edward Bernays.)

Study showing higher rates of bone cancer in male children exposed to higher levels of fluoride https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16596294

Study showing higher rate of bone fractures in women living in high fluoride areas compared to low fluoride areas. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2018020

Study showing increased hyperactivity in children in fluoridated vs. nonfluoridated areas: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4389999/

Letter from Erin Brockavitch and American Academy of Environmental Medicine et al re toxicity of fluoridation additives, lack of evidence re cavities prevention, wide range of documented harmful health impacts, and disproportionate harmful effects on black and Hispanic communities: https://www.aaemonline.org/pdf/LetterIOM_2015.04.27.pdf

Long list of substances ingested or absorbed from the environment that contain fluoride https://files.iaomt.org/wp-content/uploads/IAOMT-Sources-of-Fluoride-Exposure-Chart.pdf

Civil rights organizations and leaders oppose fluoridation:
https://lulac.org/advocacy/resolutions/2011/resolution_Civil_Rights_Violation_Regarding_Forced_Medication/

https://www.chelseagreen.com/2011/forced-fluoridation-is-a-civil-rights-violation/

Environmental groups oppose fluoridation:
Environmental Working Group finds that the current recommendation of .7 ppm of fluoride added to water supplies will have very detrimental health impacts to a variety of subgroups within the U.S. population, based on the scientific literature. https://www.ewg.org/news/testimony-official-correspondence/proposed-federal-fluoride-cap-too-high

Lawsuit filed against EPA by several environmental organizations and an international organization of dentists to stop water fluoridation: http://fluoridealert.org/wp-content/uploads/epa-petition.pd









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