Fluoride
City of Lincoln
Fluoride occurs naturally in surface and groundwater and is also added to drinking water by many water systems. Read More.
Fluoride has been promoted as a chemical that reduces dental cavities. Yet it is now well-established that fluoride primarily exerts its protective effects through topical mechanisms, such as sodium fluoride in toothpaste and mouthwash. In contrast, long-term ingestion of fluoride in water increases dental fluorosis, which includes mottling, pitting and weakening of the teeth. EPA's maximum legal limit is set at 4 parts per million (ppm) to prevent skeletal fluorosis, a condition where bones become brittle and more susceptible to fractures, although these effects may occur at lower doses.
Even fluoride levels of 0.7 ppm, the amount of fluoride in drinking water recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service, can result in too much fluoride for bottle-fed babies. EWG recommends that caregivers mix baby formula with fluoride-free water. The National Toxicology Program is investigating the potential for low doses of fluoride to alter thyroid function and childhood brain development.
Testing results - average by year
Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | 0.860 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.761 ppm - 0.986 ppm |
2015 | 0.948 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.846 ppm - 1.04 ppm |
2016 | 0.909 ppm | 14 | 14 | 0.799 ppm - 1.01 ppm |
2017 | 0.904 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.835 ppm - 0.966 ppm |
2018 | 0.937 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.890 ppm - 0.992 ppm |
2019 | 0.928 ppm | 14 | 14 | 0.885 ppm - 1.01 ppm |
ppm = parts per million
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 4 ppm
ppm = parts per million
All test results
Date | Lab ID | Result |
---|---|---|
2014-01-06 | 279987 | 0.788 ppm |
2014-02-07 | 285163 | 0.868 ppm |
2014-03-14 | 289106 | 0.802 ppm |
2014-04-02 | 292448 | 0.799 ppm |
2014-05-05 | 298255 | 0.761 ppm |
2014-06-02 | 304462 | 0.847 ppm |
2014-07-10 | 310707 | 0.882 ppm |
2014-08-11 | 316050 | 0.986 ppm |
2014-09-04 | 321828 | 0.954 ppm |
2014-10-06 | 326682 | 0.860 ppm |
2014-11-06 | 334088 | 0.887 ppm |
2014-12-15 | 337673 | 0.884 ppm |
2015-01-09 | 341633 | 0.914 ppm |
2015-02-11 | 347237 | 0.975 ppm |
2015-03-03 | 350148 | 0.953 ppm |
2015-04-08 | 355070 | 0.977 ppm |
2015-05-08 | 362726 | 0.846 ppm |
2015-06-02 | 367126 | 0.938 ppm |
2015-07-02 | 371276 | 1.04 ppm |
2015-08-03 | 379519 | 0.961 ppm |
2015-09-04 | 384889 | 1.01 ppm |
2015-10-05 | 389834 | 0.943 ppm |
2015-11-04 | 396782 | 0.920 ppm |
2015-12-03 | 400789 | 0.895 ppm |
2016-01-05 | 1.01 ppm | |
2016-02-04 | 0.801 ppm | |
2016-03-04 | 0.799 ppm | |
2016-04-04 | 0.854 ppm | |
2016-05-06 | 0.898 ppm | |
2016-06-02 | 0.943 ppm | |
2016-07-11 | 0.962 ppm | |
2016-07-12 | 0.989 ppm | |
2016-07-12 | 0.977 ppm | |
2016-08-04 | 0.927 ppm | |
2016-09-08 | 0.905 ppm | |
2016-10-12 | 0.871 ppm | |
2016-11-03 | 0.931 ppm | |
2016-12-08 | 0.863 ppm | |
2017-01-09 | 0.884 ppm | |
2017-02-13 | 0.887 ppm | |
2017-03-06 | 0.911 ppm | |
2017-04-04 | 0.948 ppm | |
2017-05-04 | 0.856 ppm | |
2017-06-01 | 0.926 ppm | |
2017-07-03 | 0.922 ppm | |
2017-08-11 | 0.966 ppm | |
2017-09-11 | 0.940 ppm | |
2017-10-13 | 0.902 ppm | |
2017-11-07 | 0.876 ppm | |
2017-12-06 | 0.835 ppm | |
2018-01-11 | 529770 | 0.890 ppm |
2018-02-12 | 535318 | 0.906 ppm |
2018-03-06 | 538870 | 0.971 ppm |
2018-04-03 | 542044 | 0.964 ppm |
2018-05-04 | 548259 | 0.903 ppm |
2018-06-11 | 553571 | 0.992 ppm |
2018-07-09 | 558164 | 0.912 ppm |
2018-08-10 | 565897 | 0.941 ppm |
2018-09-06 | 570182 | 0.975 ppm |
2018-10-03 | 576074 | 0.915 ppm |
2018-11-08 | 581579 | 0.897 ppm |
2018-12-13 | 585487 | 0.980 ppm |
2019-01-10 | 588853 | 0.965 ppm |
2019-02-06 | 594256 | 1.01 ppm |
2019-03-14 | 597724 | 0.913 ppm |
2019-04-12 | 601510 | 0.887 ppm |
2019-05-15 | 609097 | 0.885 ppm |
2019-06-11 | 613091 | 0.913 ppm |
2019-07-09 | 622080 | 0.913 ppm |
2019-07-09 | 622081 | 0.969 ppm |
2019-07-09 | 618704 | 0.910 ppm |
2019-08-07 | 626788 | 0.977 ppm |
2019-09-18 | 631076 | 0.897 ppm |
2019-10-21 | 636310 | 0.919 ppm |
2019-11-06 | 643068 | 0.913 ppm |
2019-12-10 | 648244 | 0.926 ppm |