What's In Your Water and Why?
Jbozz21
11/12/2012
If you knew that every time you took a drink of tap water, you were drinking toxic industrial waste, would you continue to drink it? Every time you take a sip of tap water that is essentially what you are drinking. When our water is processed after it is purified, three things are added to it; minerals for hydration, Chlorine to keep bacteria down, and Fluoride to “prevent cavities”.
What is Fluoride?: Fluoride is the 9th element on the periodic table. It is not an essential nutrient at all but is actually a highly toxic chemical in any form. Before the 1940's Fluoride was a waste byproduct of Phosphorous production for chemical fertilizers. It was released into the air as gaseous Hydrofluoric acid. The EPA cracked down on them and made them put scrubbers in their gaseous waste pipes, which converted fluoride to Sodium Hexafluorosilicate, and Fluorosilic Acid. After that the government began to add it to our drinking water every day, with claims that it "helps reduce cavities" Time has proven us wrong. Water Fluoridation has proven to be unethical, harmful, and unnecessary.
Imagine we have so many people dying of heart disease that the AMA decides they are going to give everyone in the nation a pill to lower cholesterol, whether they have a history of heart disease in their family or not. Essentially that is what is happening with water fluoridation but only worse. They do this regardless of age, body size, medical history, genetics, personal choice, unbeknownst to the majority of American Citizens. Water fluoridation is unethical because everyone has to drink water but no one has to take a pill. The government has been convinced by bad science to mass medicate the entire nation to prevent a dental disease that not everyone will get.
In order for anyone to make the choice not to drink fluoride they have to buy water purification devices or buy bottled water. They have to pay money to not drink the poison that is being added to our city water. Many poor people don't have a choice of what to drink if they can't afford bottled water or a water purification device and filters than they have to drink the tap water. Not to mention, we are paying for our water to be poisoned though tax dollars and then we have to pay to have it removed.
According to the Material Safety Data Sheet of Hexafluorosilic acid[1].
It is highly corrosive. Causes eye and skin burns. Long-term exposure may cause bone and joint changes. May cause severe respiratory tract irritation with possible burns. May cause severe digestive tract irritation with possible burns.
If you look on a tube of tooth paste which has Sodium Fluoride added into it, it has a warning label on it that says: Warning: keep out of the reach of children under the age of 6 years of age. If more than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help, or contact a poison control center right away.
A study[2] on elderly residents in Utah, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that there is a significant increase in the number of hip fractures among elderly in fluoridated cities versus non-fluoridated cities. This shows a correlation between Fluoridation of water and weakening of bones. This could possibly caused from Skeletal Fluorosis.
Studies[3][4] have also shown an increase in a degenerative bone problem called Dental Fluorosis among residents of towns and cities that fluoridate their water. Dental and skeletal Fluorosis causes the teeth and bones to become yellow, or in worse situations pitted, brittle and permanently stained brown. As fluoride replaces the hydroxide in a person's bones and teeth it causes the bones to become resistant to acids produced by bacteria effectively reducing cavities but at the same time causes the teeth to become brittle and yellow. Dental fluorosis is not an uncommon occurrence but happens to many people.
Water fluoridation is unnecessary because unless you specifically search for fluoride-free toothpastes, all toothpastes you buy from the store have fluoride in them and we should have no problem getting our daily fluoride poison dosage if we brush our teeth.
In conclusion Fluoridation may help our teeth resist acid and prevent cavities but at the price of yellow teeth and weakening bones. The Fluoridation of our water is an unethical practice because it is mass medication of citizen that may not want or need it and it comes with undesired social and health devastating consequences. Please help stop this terrible practice by writing or calling your state government officials and encourage them to cease the practice of water fluoridation. Many cities have succeeded in removing Fluoride from their public drinking water and yours can too!
Bibliography:
[1] "Hexafluorosilic Acid MSDS." N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <https://fscimage.fishersci.com/msds/11110.htm>.
[2] "Hip Fractures and Fluoridation in Utah's Elderly Population." Journal of American Medical Association. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=399061>.
[3] Arbor, Ann. "Dental Caries, Fluorosis, and Fluoride Exposure in Michigan Schoolchildren."Journal of Dental Research. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://jdr.sagepub.com/content/67/5/802.short>.
[4] Heller, Keith E., DDS. DrPH. "Dental Caries and Dental Fluorosis at Varying Water Fluoride Concentrations." Wiley Online Library. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1752-7325.1997.tb02964.x/abstract>.