Fluoride
Blair, City of
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 | 0.956 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.679 ppm - 1.12 ppm |
2015 | 0.837 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.708 ppm - 0.934 ppm |
2016 | 0.901 ppm | 13 | 13 | 0.830 ppm - 1.07 ppm |
2017 | 0.908 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.763 ppm - 1.05 ppm |
2018 | 0.906 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.537 ppm - 1.12 ppm |
2019 | 0.927 ppm | 13 | 13 | 0.671 ppm - 1.28 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 | 279705 | 0.853 ppm |
2014-02-04 | 284981 | 1.12 ppm |
2014-03-04 | 288972 | 0.999 ppm |
2014-04-14 | 292251 | 0.679 ppm |
2014-05-05 | 298058 | 0.870 ppm |
2014-06-02 | 304321 | 0.793 ppm |
2014-07-14 | 310489 | 1.11 ppm |
2014-08-04 | 315852 | 1.02 ppm |
2014-09-08 | 321689 | 1.02 ppm |
2014-10-06 | 326497 | 0.933 ppm |
2014-11-03 | 333905 | 1.07 ppm |
2014-12-08 | 337543 | 1.01 ppm |
2015-01-05 | 341455 | 0.852 ppm |
2015-02-02 | 347056 | 0.869 ppm |
2015-03-09 | 349998 | 0.921 ppm |
2015-04-07 | 354936 | 0.834 ppm |
2015-05-04 | 362526 | 0.753 ppm |
2015-06-01 | 366982 | 0.780 ppm |
2015-07-07 | 371065 | 0.916 ppm |
2015-08-03 | 379316 | 0.807 ppm |
2015-09-08 | 384745 | 0.818 ppm |
2015-10-19 | 389646 | 0.934 ppm |
2015-11-09 | 396596 | 0.857 ppm |
2015-12-14 | 400652 | 0.708 ppm |
2016-01-25 | 1.07 ppm | |
2016-02-01 | 0.830 ppm | |
2016-03-07 | 0.936 ppm | |
2016-04-04 | 0.863 ppm | |
2016-05-02 | 0.888 ppm | |
2016-06-06 | 0.849 ppm | |
2016-07-05 | 0.876 ppm | |
2016-07-05 | 0.854 ppm | |
2016-08-01 | 0.916 ppm | |
2016-09-12 | 0.849 ppm | |
2016-10-17 | 0.932 ppm | |
2016-11-07 | 0.921 ppm | |
2016-12-05 | 0.925 ppm | |
2017-01-03 | 0.990 ppm | |
2017-02-06 | 0.972 ppm | |
2017-03-06 | 0.883 ppm | |
2017-04-03 | 0.892 ppm | |
2017-05-01 | 0.763 ppm | |
2017-06-05 | 1.05 ppm | |
2017-07-05 | 0.957 ppm | |
2017-08-14 | 0.896 ppm | |
2017-09-11 | 0.858 ppm | |
2017-10-02 | 0.896 ppm | |
2017-11-13 | 0.901 ppm | |
2017-12-11 | 0.843 ppm | |
2018-01-02 | 529575 | 0.860 ppm |
2018-02-05 | 535142 | 0.885 ppm |
2018-03-05 | 538736 | 0.852 ppm |
2018-04-02 | 541814 | 0.537 ppm |
2018-05-07 | 548044 | 0.807 ppm |
2018-06-04 | 553423 | 0.973 ppm |
2018-07-09 | 557951 | 0.851 ppm |
2018-08-06 | 565702 | 1.000 ppm |
2018-09-04 | 570034 | 1.12 ppm |
2018-10-02 | 575868 | 1.04 ppm |
2018-11-12 | 581400 | 0.923 ppm |
2018-12-04 | 585355 | 1.02 ppm |
2019-01-14 | 588660 | 0.710 ppm |
2019-02-04 | 594077 | 1.02 ppm |
2019-03-04 | 597587 | 1.28 ppm |
2019-04-01 | 601301 | 0.844 ppm |
2019-05-06 | 608901 | 1.08 ppm |
2019-06-03 | 612939 | 0.981 ppm |
2019-07-01 | 618338 | 0.944 ppm |
2019-07-08 | 622050 | 1.13 ppm |
2019-08-05 | 626591 | 1.09 ppm |
2019-09-09 | 630927 | 0.671 ppm |
2019-10-15 | 636107 | 0.700 ppm |
2019-11-04 | 642894 | 0.784 ppm |
2019-12-09 | 648231 | 0.811 ppm |