Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Fluoride

City of Taneytown

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.

 

30

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.147 ppm75ND - 0.380 ppm
20190.0900 ppm43ND - 0.140 ppm
20200.175 ppm43ND - 0.370 ppm
20210.127 ppm31ND - 0.380 ppm
2022ND50ND
20230.0986 ppm73ND - 0.420 ppm

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
2018-03-13E180033100020.380 ppm
2018-08-16E19000553001ND
2018-08-16E19000553002ND
2018-08-16E190005530030.1000 ppm
2018-11-060060012_110618_W170.320 ppm
2018-11-060060012_110618_W80.120 ppm
2018-11-060060012_110618_W90.110 ppm
2019-03-190060012_031919_TP050.1000 ppm
2019-03-190060012_031919_TP070.120 ppm
2019-03-190060012_031919_TP060.140 ppm
2019-03-190060012_031919_TP03ND
2020-03-03E200029810030.370 ppm
2020-09-16E21000739001ND
2020-09-16E210007390020.230 ppm
2020-09-16E21007390030.1000 ppm
2021-12-300060012_123021_TP01ND
2021-12-300060012_123021_TP080.380 ppm
2021-12-300060012_123021_TP02ND
2022-03-210060012_032122_TP03ND
2022-03-210060012_032122_TP03AND
2022-03-210060012_032122_TP05ND
2022-03-210060012_032122_TP06ND
2022-03-210060012_032122_TP07ND
2023-03-1023030985_001ND
2023-03-1023030985_002ND
2023-03-1023030985_003ND
2023-03-1023030985_004ND
2023-05-23E23002819010.140 ppm
2023-05-23E23002819020.130 ppm
2023-05-23E23002819030.420 ppm