Experts confirm extremely low levels of fluoride reduce IQ, according to the Fluoride Action Network

NEW YORK, June 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A Benchmark Dose Analysis (BMD) by Grandjean et al., just published in the journal Risk Analysis, confirms that extremely low fluoride exposure during pregnancy impairs fetal brain development and at the population level may currently be causing more damage than lead, mercury, or arsenic. 

The study found that a maternal urine fluoride concentration of 0.2mg/L, which is exceeded 4 to 5 times in pregnant women living in fluoridated communities, was enough to lower IQ by 1 point. They state that:

"These findings provide additional evidence that fluoride is a developmental neurotoxicant … and the benchmark results should inspire a revision of water-fluoride recommendations aimed at protecting pregnant women and young children." 

According to Fluoride Action Network Director, Paul Connett, PhD,

"This BMD analysis should put an end to false claims by fluoridation promoters that IQ loss only occurs at fluoride concentrations much higher than the levels used in fluoridation programs (0.7 ppm). In reality, in such communities pregnant women's urine levels are about four to five times higher than this estimated benchmark dose of 0.2 ppm (Northern California and across Canada)."

Grandjean et al. used pooled data from the ELEMENT and MIREC birth cohorts in Mexico and Canada. These cohorts were used in two major Mother-Offspring studies (Bashash, 2017 and Green, 2019) funded by the National Institutes of Health.

A Benchmark Dose Analysis is used to identify a dose that would likely cause a defined amount of harm, in this case a loss of 1 IQ point.  This benchmark (loss of one IQ point) has been used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in other risk assessments. It is well established that a loss of one IQ point leads to a reduced lifetime earning ability of $18,000.  

It is estimated that over 70% of drinking water systems in America are fluoridated, thus millions of pregnant women are currently being exposed to levels of fluoride that has the potential to lower their children's IQ by at least 4 points and probably more.

FAN is involved in an ongoing federal lawsuit against the EPA seeking to prohibit the deliberate addition of fluoride to drinking water because of its neurotoxicity. The Court indicated that it was waiting to see this BMD analysis, as well as a final report from the National Toxicology Program, before it would rule. 

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SOURCE Fluoride Action Network