As a mom of an asthmatic child, I am especially appreciative of your group’s efforts to help stop our region from becoming the gateway to massive coal exports to China. I went to the south of China last year and the air was brown and sticky from ubiquitous coal-burning.

You likely know that fluoride is released when coal is burnt, and a great number of Chinese children have been diagnosed with skeletal fluorosis and neurological damage, including lowered IQs, from coal-related fluoride over-exposure. (1)(2)

“Fluoride seems to fit in with lead, mercury, and other poisons that cause chemical brain drain,” … “The effect of each toxicant may seem small, but the combined damage on a population scale can be serious, especially because the brain power of the next generation is crucial to all of us.” – Phillipe Grandjean, adjunct professor, Harvard School of Public Health, commenting on the fluoride/IQ study.

Shockingly, the number of cases of coal-burning-type skeletal fluorosis has been estimated to be 1.5 million! (1) So fluoride overexposure is a critical concern of the coal campaign.

Are you aware that the CDC confirms that 41% of US adolescents living in fluoridated areas have dental fluorosis, a permanent staining or pitting of tooth enamel, and a sign of Fluoride OVER-exposure? (3)

And that in 2000, the EPA Union of Scientists, (representing over 1,500 EPA scientists, engineers and other professionals), sued their own agency, calling for a MORATORIUM on water fluoridation due to numerous scientific studies pointing to serious health and environmental fluoridation consequences. (4)

Further, the EPA lists Fluoride as a “substantially documented developmental neurotoxicant.” (5)

Like coal fluoride, water fluoridation has been linked to a number of health problems in studies published by Harvard, the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Academy of Sciences, etc. Some of these problems are liver, cardiovascular and thyroid disorders, as well as diabetes, arthritis, brittle bones, hyperactivity and lowered IQs. (6)

The chemicals used to fluoridate water are Silicofluorides and Hydrofluosilicic acid. The EPA scientists’ own description of these chemicals:
91% of Americans ingesting artificially fluoridated water are consuming silicofluorides. This is a class of fluoridation chemicals that includes hydrofluosilicic acid and its salt form, sodium fluorosilicate. These chemicals are collected from the pollution scrubbers of the phosphate fertilizer industry. The scrubber liquors contain contaminants such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury, and radioactive particles are legally regulated as toxic waste, and are prohibited from direct dispersal into the environment. Upon being sold (unrefined) to municipalities as fluoridating agents, these same substances are then considered a “product”, allowing them to be dispensed through fluoridated municipal water systems to the very same ecosystems to which they could not be released directly. Sodium fluoride, used in the remaining municipalities, is also an industrial waste product that contains hazardous contaminants. (4)

In 2003, the Sierra Club of Canada’s Chinook chapter was so concerned about the levels of fluoride in the city’s waterways, it called for aldermen to impose a moratorium on fluoridation.

“If at low levels fluoride affects aquatic life like rainbow trout, and things are cumulative up the food chain and humans are affected, why are we putting this in our water?” said Jennifer Wright, spokeswoman for the Chinook chapter of the Sierra Club of Canada.

Wright, citing the 2002 Canadian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines prepared by a federal-provincial committee, said fluoridation of public water supplies causes unnaturally high levels of inorganic fluorides to be released into the soil, air and water.

“Inorganic fluorides affect basic physiological and biochemical processes of fish, plants and other aquatic organisms. Inorganic fluorides can slow growth and development, cause abnormal behaviour and lead to death,” the report said. (7)

Having worked with various environmental groups, I know it is difficult to work on multiple campaigns in one region, but I wanted to share this information with you, hoping your powerful organinzation will weigh in on the incipient water fluoridation vote in Portland.

Truly, the coal-fluoride issues are linked, and the long term ill effects from coal fluoride and water fluoride are twin environmental and health concerns.

I am appending a short fact fluoridation sheet (below this letter and references) with a primary source bibliography in case you would like to pass this along to colleagues.

Kind regards,
Jen Davis
Founder, We All Need Bees Coalition
Farmers, gardeners,beekeepers, teachers, chefs and eaters
Advocating for healthy forage and habitat for our chief pollinators: the bees
Nativepollinatorsportland@gmail.com
(503)234-0331

(1) Hou, 1997; Liang et al., 1997). http://whqlibdoc.who.int/ehc/WHO_EHC_227.pdf
(2)Skeletal fluorosis affects the joints as well as the bones. It is not easily recognizable till advanced stage. In its early stages, its symptoms may resemble those of arthritis. Ayoob S, Gupta AK. (2006). Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Review on the Status and Stress Effects. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 36:433–487.
lowered IQs: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/fluoride-childrens-health-grandjean-choi/
(3) http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db53.htm
(4) http://www.nteu280.org/Issues/Fluoride/NTEU280-Fluoride.htm
(5) http://www.epa.gov/ncct/toxcast/files/summit/48P%20Mundy%20TDAS.pdf
(6) http://www.fluoridealert.org/issues/health/
(7) http://www.fluoridealert.org/?s=Sierra+club

10 Critical Fluoridation Facts:

1. 41% of US adolescents living in fluoridated areas have dental fluorosis, a permanent staining or pitting of tooth enamel, and a sign of Fluoride Over-exposure.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db53.htm

2. In 2000, the EPA Union of Scientists, (representing over 1,500 EPA scientists, engineers and other professionals), sued their own agency, calling for a moratorium on water fluoridation due to numerous scientific studies pointing to serious health and environmental fluoridation consequences.
http://www.nteu280.org/Issues/Fluoride/NTEU280-Fluoride.htm

3. The EPA lists Fluoride as a “substantially documented developmental neurotoxicant.”
http://www.epa.gov/ncct/toxcast/files/summit/48P%20Mundy%20TDAS.pdf

4. According to the WHO, “fluoride is in virtually all foodstuffs.” It is also in over 100 pesticides, (and therefore in residues on conventional food), in unleaded gasoline, (and a significant source of air pollution) a number of medicines, some wood preservatives, coal burning, milk, meats, sodas, wines and a number of juices. (1-7). Even the WHO admits it is impossible to control “fluoride dosage.” Thus we have the resulting fluorosis, and in tandem, long-term bio-accumulation of fluoride in bones, teeth, other body cells and as recent science demonstrates, in the pineal gland of the brain. Scientific studies by Harvard, the National Academy of Sciences, the Environmental Working Group, the World Health Organization, the EPA and many others have linked thyroid, liver, kidney, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, arthritis, brittle bones, hyperactivity and even lowered IQs with overexposure to fluoride. (8,9, 9.5)

5. By drinking one 12 oz. glass of water (fluoridated at the rate of 0.7 ppm, the current EPA recommended MCGL) you will have consumed as much fluoride as in a pea-sized dab of fluoridated toothpaste!
http://www.cleanwaterportland.org/blog

In addition, the EPA states that children, because their organs are still developing, and have greater-skin-to-body-weight ratio, can absorb more contaminants through their skin while bathing than from consumption of toxins in water. Small children often take long baths. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, “Fluoride…is rapidly absorbed following inhalation, oral and dermal (skin) exposure.” (9.6)

6. The chemicals used to fluoridate water are Silicofluorides and Hydrofluosilicic acid. The EPA scientists’ own description of these chemicals:
91% of Americans ingesting artificially fluoridated water are consuming silicofluorides. (10)This is a class of fluoridation chemicals that includes hydrofluosilicic acid and its salt form, sodium fluorosilicate. These chemicals are collected from the pollution scrubbers of the phosphate fertilizer industry. The scrubber liquors contain contaminants such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury, and radioactive particles (11) are legally regulated as toxic waste, and are prohibited from direct dispersal into the environment. Upon being sold (unrefined) to municipalities as fluoridating agents, these same substances are then considered a “product”, allowing them to be dispensed through fluoridated municipal water systems to the very same ecosystems to which they could not be released directly. Sodium fluoride, used in the remaining municipalities, is also an industrial waste product that contains hazardous contaminants.

7. Infants ingesting formula prepared with fluoridated water will receive 50-100 times more fluoride than a breast-fed infant. A baby’s immature renal development causes them to absorb more of these chemicals, up to 90%, in their bones, teeth, cells and brains. Dr. Phillipe Grandjean, of Harvard school of Public Health, suggests that fluoride may be as neurotoxic as mercury or lead. (12,13,14)

8. The tiny fluorine ion is too small to be captured by municipal sanitation filters. The average US citizen uses 90 gallons of water per day. Only a small fraction of this water is ingested: the rest will be flushed down the toilets, used for washing clothes, dishes, cars, etc, bathing and watering lawns and gardens. So the fluoridation chemicals which are not accumulated in our bodies, soils, plants and wildlife will be flushed into our rivers and oceans, and the bodies of aquatic life. Bees and salmon, among other wildlife, are very sensitive to fluoride. (15-18)

9. Kentucky has fluoridated more of its water than nearly every other state, yet ranks number one in toothlessness from decay and is high in baby-bottle dental caries. And only 8 countries in the world significantly fluoridate their water, but dental health is the same or better in countries without fluoridation. (19,20)

10. “Amidst these negative findings, the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology, the American Academy of Diabetes, the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, the American Nurses Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the National Kidney Foundation, and the Society of Toxicology have discounted fluoride as a beneficial additive and no longer support its use (Kauffman, 2005). Additionally there is an ethical argument surrounding city officials adding fluoride to drinking water supplies.”
http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Fluoride

Jen Davis
Founder, We All Need Bees Coalition
Farmers, gardeners, beekeepers, teachers, chefs and eaters
Advocating for safe forage and habitat for our chief pollinators: the bees.
Portland, Oregon
(503)234-0331

(1-7) “Virtually all foodstuffs contain at least trace amounts of fluoride..”
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/ehc/WHO_EHC_227.pdf
http://www.organicconsumers.org/Toxic/flouride.cfm
http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/deadly-risks-of-lead-free-petrol/
F pollution:The total amounts of hydrogen fluoride released to air, surface water, under- ground injection and land in the USA during 1999 were 33 000, 7.7, 1800 and 64 tonnes, respectively. Total amounts of fluorine released to air, surface water and land were 39, 24 and 500 tonnes, respectively (US EPA, 1999).
(10)The number of cases of coal- burning-type skeletal fluorosis has been estimated t o be 1.5 million (Hou, 1997; Liang et al., 1997). http://whqlibdoc.who.int/ehc/WHO_EHC_227.pdf
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/ehc/WHO_EHC_227.pdf
(8,9)“There are few data from which to estimate total exposure to and the bioavailability of fluoride, and there are inconsistencies in reports on the characterization of its adverse effects.”
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/ehc/WHO_EHC_227.pdf
http://water.epa.gov/action/advisories/drinking/upload/Fluoride_dose_response.pdf
“Individuals with impaired renal function, such as those with diabetes, may be more prone to developing fluoride-related toxicological effect due to their diminished excretion of fluoride ” (Kaminsky et al., 1990; US DHHS, 1991)
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/ehc/WHO_EHC_227.pdf
http://www.fluoridealert.org/pesticides/sodium.f.pineal.htm
Luke J (1997). The effect of fluoride on the physiology of the pineal gland. Ph.D. Thesis. University of Surrey, Guildord, UK
Luke J (2001). Fluoride deposition in the aged human pineal gland. Caries Res. 35:125-128.
Schlesinger ER, Overton DE, Chase HC, Cantwell KT (1956). Newburgh-Kingston caries-fluorine study X111. Pediatric findings after ten years. J Amer Dent Assoc 52: 296-306.
Fluoride is present in body organs, tissues and fluids.
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/ehc/WHO_EHC_227.pdf
(9.5) http://www.fluoridealert.org/issues/health/
“[Skeletal fluorosis] affects the joints as well as the bones. It is not easily recognizable till advanced stage. In its early stages, its symptoms may resemble those of arthritis.” : Ayoob S, Gupta AK. (2006). Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Review on the Status and Stress Effects. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 36:433–487.
…”our results suggest that drinking water fluoride levels over 2.0 mg/L (ppm) can cause damage to liver and kidney function in children…” Xiong X, Liu J, He W, Xia T, He P, Chen X, Yang K, Wang A. (2006). Dose-effect relationship between drinking water fluoride levels and damage to liver and kidney functions in children. Environmental Research Jul 8; [Epub ahead of print]
Hypertension can increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, heart failure, aortic aneurysms, and peripheral arterial disease. An association between increased fluoride in ground water and increased prevalence of hypertension has been observed, especially among adult males (Amini et al., 2011).
(9.6) Dermal Exposure Assessment: Principles and Applications, EPA/600/8-9-91, U.S. EPA, Washington, DC; 1991.
http://www.epa.gov/ncea/efh/pdfs/efh-chapter07.pdf
fluoridation health consequences:
http://www.nteu280.org/Issues/Fluoride/NTEU280-Fluoride.htm
(10)CDC (1993). Fluoridation Census 1992.
(11)National Sanitation Foundation International. (2000) Letter from Stan Hazan, General Manager, NSF Drinking Water Additives Certification Program, to Ken Calvert, Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment, Committee on Science, US House of Representatives. July 7. http://www.keepersofthewell.org/product_pdfs/NSF_response.pdf
(12)”Infants fed formula receive 50–100 times more fluoride than exclusively breast-fed infants.”
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/ehc/WHO_EHC_227.pdf
(13)Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR) (2003). Toxicological profile for fluorides, hydrogen fluoride, and fluorine. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service
F retention rates:(10)Fluoride crosses the placenta and is transferred from mother to fetus. Fluoride is eliminated from the body primarily in the urine. In infants, about 80–90% of a fluoride dose is retained; in adults, the corresponding figure is A approximately 60%. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/ehc/WHO_EHC_227.pdf
Ekstrand J, et al. (1984). Fluoride Balance Studies on Infants in a 1- ppm-Water-Fluoride Area. Caries Res. 18:87-92.
(14) “Fluoride seems to fit in with lead, mercury, and other poisons that cause chemical brain drain,” Grandjean says. “The effect of each toxicant may seem small, but the combined damage on a population scale can be serious, especially because the brain power of the next generation is crucial to all of us.”
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/features/fluoride-childrens – health-grandjean-choi.html
(15-18)
– Damkaer DM, and Dey DB 1989. Evidence for fluoride effects on salmon passage at John Day Dam, Columbia River, 1982-1986. N. Am. J. Fish. Manage.9:154-162.
– Davison A. and Weinstein L. The effects of fluorides on plants. (1998) Fluorides and the Environment. Earth Island Institute. www.earthisland.org .
Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines, http://www.ec.gc.ca/ceqg-rcqe/English/Html/GAAG_Fluoride.cfm
Personal communication with Dave Paris, Manchester Water Works, NH. (January 2001) Calculation based on estimated two-liters/ person/day used for drinking and cooking.
(17) http://whqlibdoc.who.int/ehc/WHO_EHC_227.pdf
(19) http://chfs.ky.gov/NR/rd
(20) WHO stats. On world carie/fluoridation/ fluoridealert.org

Recent Harvard and World Health Organization studies have found 1.5 million Chinese Children suffer from crippling skeletal fluorosis, and many also have lowered IQs or other neurological damage, from over-exposure to fluoride released from coal-burning. The CDC admits that 41% of US adolescents have dental fluorosis, permanent dental enamel damage, from fluoride over-exposure. Are these linked? Yes.