New evidence seems to
confirm that by fluoridating our water,
we are poisoning our children.
By Tom Valentine
More than two years ago, the court-killed Spotlight wrote
about George Glasser, a citizen researcher who blew the whistle
on the use of highly-toxic fluorosilicic acid from rock fertilizer
processing as the primary source of community water fluoridation.
Now, a massive study of young children who have been subjected
to fluorosilicic acid fluoridation in their New York communities
shows that the water additive does not improve kids’
teeth and could even be poisoning them.
Until that time, most people were under the impression that
water fluoridation used sodium fluoride, rat poison, a by-product
of aluminum manufacturing.
Glasser, however, pointed out that more than 75 percent of
the U.S. water fluoridation communities have been using the
even more toxic fluorosilicic acid since the late 1970s.
Glasser was the first to stress the excessive toxicity inherent
in using the hydrofluorosilicic acid residue that is removed
from the industrial pollution control “scrubbers”
in the manufacture of phosphate fertilizers.
The chemists refer to this material as silicofluorides and
have now conclusively shown that the fluoridation material
is linked to other heavy metal toxins that are found in drinking
water—lead, arsenic, aluminum and cadmium for example.
In the March 2001 issue of the journal Neuro Toxicology,
a team of researchers led by Dr. Roger Masters of Dartmouth
College reported evidence that public drinking water fluoridated
with fluorosilicic acid is linked to higher levels of lead
in children.
After pointing out that since 1992 only about 10 percent
of America’s fluoridated communities use sodium fluoride
and 90 percent use fluorosilicic acid, the researchers stated
that about 140 million Americans have this chemical placed
in their water.
They also pointed out that sodium fluoride was tested on
animals and approved for human consumption, but fluorosilicic
acid had not been so tested and approved.
The research team studied the blood-lead levels in more than
400,000 children in three different samplings. In each case
they found a significant link between fluorosilicic acid-treated
water and elevated blood levels of lead.
In the latest study, the blood levels of about 150,000 children
ranging in ages from infant to 6 were analyzed.
The samples were collected by the New York State Department
of Children’s Health from 1994 through 1998.
Researchers concluded that the fluorosilicic acid-treated
water was equal to or worse a contributor of blood-lead levels
as old house paint.
Dr. Masters said these preliminary findings correlate the
fluorosilicic acid water treatment and behavior problems that
are due to known effects of lead on brain chemistry.
Additionally, a study in Germany showed the fluorosilicic
acid water (SiFs) may inhibit the enzyme cholinesterase which
plays a key role in regulating neurotransmitters.
“If SiFs are cholinesterase inhibitors, this means
that SiFs have effects like the chemical agents linked to
Gulf War Syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome and other puzzling
conditions that plague millions of Americans,” Masters
said. “We need a better understanding of how SiFs behave
chemically and physiologically.”
Last March, Dr. Masters testified before New Hampshire legislators
in favor of the Fluoride Product Quality Control Act. The
bill would put the SiFs to a series of tests, and perhaps
further research on neurotoxicity and behavior.
“If further research confirms our findings,”
Masters said, “this may well be the worst environmental
poison since leaded gasoline.”
The EPA admits it has no data on the health and behavioral
effects of SiFs.
Dr. Masters asked: “Shouldn’t we stop intentionally
exposing 140 million Americans to an untested chemical until
the risks are extensively and objectively evaluated by independent
researchers?”
And, the final insult: There is no conclusive evidence that
fluoridation of drinking water significantly improves the
teeth of children at all. ™
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