Fact Sheet on Increaed Lead in Water from Fluoridation-NYC EFFORT TO STOP

[Guest guest]

DID YOU KNOW THAT NEW YORK CITY PLANS TO ADD A FLOURIDE TO THE WATER SUPPLY

THAT INCREASES THE AMOUNT OF LEAD IN TAP WATER? FLUORIDE CAUSES LEAD TO

LEACH

FROM THE WATER PIPES.

Due to an equipment failure New York City is no longer adding fluoride to

our water. We now have an opportunity to re-evaluate why we are adding

fluoride in the first place. Older buildings were constructed with lead

pipes. And most poor and minority peoples live in older buildings. The good

news is that NYC can remove these toxins by tomorrow, and save millions of

dollars in the effort.

 

In 1992 the Environmental Quality Institute of the University of North

Carolina-Asheville (EQI) released their findings from an ongoing study of

the

lead content of New York City's tap water. The results showed that 31% of

the

samples taken exceeded the EPA's limits of 0.015 mg/L. Started in 1988, EQI

is considered the nation's largest program for the testing of lead in

drinking water.

 

Lead enters drinking water mainly from the corrosion of lead-containing

household plumbing. The federal EPA requires local water suppliers to

prevent

lead and other metal contamination by controlling the corrosiveness

(acidity)

of the water supply. If corrosion control is not sufficient, then

lead-containing materials may have to be replaced (faucets are allowed to

contain as much as 8% lead).

 

What Causes Water To Be Corrosive?

Several studies conducted jointly by the city of Seattle, the federal EPA,

and other institutions had been undertaken to determine the cause of the

severe plumbing corrosion problems in that city since 1970. The most

detailed

and comprehensive of these investigations was performed by the Kennedy

Engineers, Inc., of Tacoma, Washington. Their findings showed convincingly

that fluoridation of Seattle's water, with or without chlorination, had

significantly increased the rate of corrosion for copper, galvanized steel,

and black steel piping. They estimated that fluoride added to the water at

the standard 1 ppm (1 mg/L) increased pipe corrosion and led to an increased

cost of plumbing repairs as high as $12 million annually. The Seattle

Internal Corrosion Study Advisory Committee came to the same conclusions and

a summary of their report was published in the 12/79 issue of the Journal of

the American Water Works Association. New York City is one of the cities

reported to have increased costs due to water pipe corrosion. Some of them

including Tacoma,Washington discontinued water fluoridation, and we should

follow their lead.

 

How Does Fluoridation Increase Lead Contamination?

William Marcus, Ph.D.., Senior Science Advisor in the Office of Water,under

the federal EPA, has recommended that cities discontinue water fluoridation.

In 1995 he stated that, " the corrosive action of fluoride extracts lead from

pipes and solder joints, increasing lead exposure of the young. " He noted

that babies up to 3 months absorb 16 times as much lead per unit of body

weight than adults, and warned that samples of fluoridated water have

contained as high as 400 mg/L of lead.On 7/2/97, Local 2050 of the National

Federation of Federal Employees,the Union of Scientists of the U.S. EPA,

which represents 1600 EPA professionals who actually work with the

scientific

literature and have no incentive to protect industrial polluters had voted

officially and unanimously to oppose fluoridation of water supplies.

 

Fluoride is extremely acidic, and has a great affinity for iron oxide. It

will soften previously hard pipe scale, or the iron oxide surfaces of pipes

and tanks. The softened scale is loosened and carried away from its

previously fixed location, thus allowing new iron oxide (rust) to form and

corrode and weaken pipes and tanks under pressure. Not only does this

process

leach lead and other metals into the water, but it also contributes to

fluoride chemical spills and equipment failures that have led to the

accidental poisoning of segments of the population where it has occurred.

 

What Is NYC's " Solution " to Lead in the water?

Fluoridated water is so acidic that it has to be neutralized by addition of

toxic alkalizing agents like lye. The Kennedy engineers in the Seattle study

warned that such measures would at most decrease the rate of corrosion by

only 25%. The city also adds Calcium Orthophosphate to the water supply,

hoping to create a protective film inside pipes intended to reduce the

release of metals. However, it has had no effect on lead breaking off of

corroded lead solder joints.

 

Since 1992, the federal EPA set the MCLG (Maximum Contaminant Level Goals)

allowed for lead in public drinking water to 0.0 mg/L and an action level of

..015 mg/L. In effect since 1986, the EPA's MCL for fluoride in public

drinking water is 4.0 mg/L.

The Supposed reason for the acceptance of fluoridation is that since 1950

the

U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) approved and then promoted the addition

of

fluoride at 1 ppm to public water supplies as a measure to reduce tooth

decay

in children. Previously fluoride was sold as rat poison, but this market was

limited.Alcoa Aluminum Co., who were eager to, and subsequently did, sell

their fluoride waste product to public health agencies, indirectly funded

fluoride studies in the 1930's and their company lawyer later became the

supervisor of the head of the USPHS when fluoride was approved. It is now

very difficult, as Ralph Nader later explained, for public health officials

to back away from a position they strongly supported for 40 years and to

still be able to maintain 'credibility and public confidence on their past

and future policy decisions.

 

Scientific and Medical Studies appear every year warning on fluorides'

dangers

In the Journal of Epidemiology,2001 July 11(4):170-9fluoride in drinking

water was linked to increased rates of cancer mortality. Previously there

were studies linking " fluoride to harmful effects on the Central nervous

system " with implications for " motor dysfunction,IQ deficits/and or learning

disabilities in humans... " as reported by researchers at Forsyth Research

Institute,Harvard Medical School,Eastman Dental Center and Iowa State

University and reported in Neurotoxicology and Teratology,1995;vol.

17(2):169-177. The dangers are not confined to the young. The Journal of the

American Medical Association,March 8,1995 pp.775-776 reported that people

drinking at low levels from .11-1.83 mg/L had 86% more hip fractures than

those living in areas with concentrations from .05-.11 mg/L which was

statistically significant. Even the Journal of the American Dental

Association vol. 126

Dec 1995 concluded " On average, water fluoride intake greatly exceeded that

from dietary fluoride supplements or fluoride dentifrice. " The 1977

Burk-Yiamouyiannis study, which has withstood tremendous scientific scrutiny

and challenges in the courts, showed that 10,000 or more fluoride linked

cancer deaths occur yearly in the U.S. Consequently, Congress mandated the

National Toxicology Program to begin rodent tests of fluoride's

carcinogenicity. Released in Feb. 1990, the results showed that fluoride is

carcinogenic at several hundred times less concentration than many

established carcinogens.

 

Promoters of fluoride Do not Guarantee Safety

The American Dental Association which as late as October 1944 warned that

the

known risks of fluoride and the minor reported benefit was not worth the

gamble with our health abruptly changed their minds in 1945 and have

promoted

fluoridation ever since. Their organization became legally obligated after

collecting royalties for their statement of endorsement on some fluoridated

toothpaste.When they have been brought into court in cases against

toothpaste

manufacturers for damage from fluoride. They have admitted in open court

that

they never warranted the safety of fluoride but merely acted as any other

trade association and should not be held to any higher standard.

Send a letter to City Council speaker Gifford Miller who wants to run for

Mayor in 2005 to remove fluoride from the water. He is at City Hall,New

York,NY 10007, 212-788-7100 Form letters available here or call 212-795-6460

 

Sources: Corrosion Control and Water Quality Standards,EBMUD report, Cairn &

Stinson,pp9-10,American Water Works Convention,S.F.,CA June 1979

American Water Works Assn.Journal, Dec 1979 p720 & May 1980 " Internal

Corrosion "

Fluoridation: The Great Dilemma,George Waldbott,MD, Coronado Press 1978

Fluoride the Aging Factor, John Yiamouyiannis,Ph.D, Health Action Press 1993

 

Consumers Health Freedom Coalition 720 Fort Washington Ave. New York, NY

10040, phone 212-795-6460