Utah Set to Become First State to Ban Water Fluoridation

Governor Spencer Cox confirms he will sign HB 81 in a landmark move to improve the water supply and protect public health.

by Nicolas Hulscher, MPH

Utah has passed House Bill 81 to ban adding fluoride to public water systems, with Governor Spencer Cox confirming his intention to sign it into law. This decision will make Utah the first U.S. state to enact such a ban.

This is great news for the public health of Utah, and it’s expected that more states and even the federal government may follow suit. Approximately 72.3% of the U.S. population on community water systems receives fluoridated water. Fluoride is highly toxic and not an essential nutrient for any biological function in humans or animals. Industrial byproducts are used to fluoridate drinking water in the U.S: sodium fluoride (NaF); sodium fluorosilicate (Na2SiF6); and fluorosilicic acid (H2SiF6).

Research indicates that water fluoridation may lower IQ (Taylor et al) while failing to significantly prevent tooth decay (Cochrane Review). For every 1-mg/L increase in fluoride in a child’s urine, their IQ score decreased by about 1.63 points.

As I summarized last year, when improving the safety of the public water supply, other toxic additives and contaminants should also be addressed:

Municipal water treatment facilities commonly add several chemicals to tap water. These treatments include:

Disinfectants: Chemicals like chlorine and chloramine are added to eliminate harmful microorganisms. This results in disinfectant byproducts (DBPs), such as trihalomethanes (chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, and bromoform), that form when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter in water.

Coagulants and Flocculants: Substances such as aluminum sulfate and ferric chloride are used to aggregate suspended particles, making them easier to remove.

pH Adjusters: Compounds like limestone or sodium hydroxide are introduced to balance the water's pH, preventing corrosion in pipes and enhancing the effectiveness of disinfectants.

Corrosion Inhibitors: Chemicals such as orthophosphates are used to form protective coatings inside pipes, reducing the leaching of metals like lead and copper into the water.

Long term exposure to trihalomethanes (water chlorination byproducts) doubles the risk of bladder cancer.

Exposure to aluminum in drinking water has been shown to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and result is numerous negative health effects

In addition to these common public water supply additives, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are estimated to be present in 45% of US drinking water:

Fenton et al describes associations between exposure to specific PFAS and a variety of health effects, including altered immune and thyroid function, liver disease, lipid and insulin dysregulation, kidney disease, adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes, and cancer:

With Utah leading the way, it is crucial for other states and federal agencies to take decisive action, ensuring safe and clean drinking water for all Americans.

Nicolas Hulscher, MPH

Epidemiologist and Foundation Administrator, McCullough Foundation

www.mcculloughfnd.org

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