Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Fluoride

Laurel Village Mobile Home Park

Fluoride occurs naturally in surface and groundwater and is also added to drinking water by many water systems to prevent cavities and support oral health in people.

In 2015, the Department of Health and Human Services updated its recommendation of an optimal level of 0.7 parts per million, or ppm, added to drinking water based on the health benefits of tooth decay prevention. Studies have shown that fluoride added to community water systems at this level reduces dental cavities, especially in children.

And studies have conclusively shown that fluoride in toothpaste and mouthwash can also provide these benefits. Read More.

Health Concerns

Although the HHS-recommended level of 0.7 ppm can help promote oral health in children and adults, this level is likely too high for bottle-fed babies. EWG recommends that caregivers mix baby formula with fluoride-free water.

And fluoride in water at higher levels can be detrimental for everyone, especially children.

Long-term ingestion of higher levels of fluoride in water increases dental fluorosis, which includes mottling, pitting and weakening of the teeth in children.

A 2024 authoritative assessment by the National Toxicology Program found that higher levels of fluoride exposure, such as drinking water containing more than 1.5 ppm of fluoride, are associated with lower IQ in children. The conclusion was based on studies in human populations outside of the U.S.

Affecting systems with naturally occurring fluoride, 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 fracture. But these effects may occur at lower levels of exposure, raising concerns that the current limit may not adequately protect public health.

 

28

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND40ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND80ND
2022ND40ND
2023ND40ND

ppm = parts per million

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL): 4 ppm

ppm = parts per million

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-02-01S783902ND
2018-02-01S783903ND
2018-02-01S783904ND
2018-02-01S783901ND
2019-02-18S866490ND
2019-02-18S866491ND
2019-02-18S866493ND
2019-02-18S866494ND
2020-02-24S932615ND
2020-02-24S932617ND
2020-02-24S932616ND
2020-02-24S932577ND
2021-03-26S990115ND
2021-03-26S990114ND
2021-12-02S1117450ND
2021-12-02S1150008ND
2021-12-02S1150009ND
2021-12-16S1159848ND
2021-12-16S1159483ND
2021-12-28S1159980ND
2022-11-04S1242942ND
2022-11-04S1242943ND
2022-11-04S1242944ND
2022-11-04S1242945ND
2023-10-31S1299497ND
2023-10-31S1313247ND
2023-10-31S1313248ND
2023-10-31S1313250ND