A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate fluoride in drinking water because high levels could pose a risk to the intellectual development of children.
This headline is wildly misleading.
From the study itself that was used to justify the ruling:
there [was] insufficient data to determine if the low fluoride level of 0.7 mg/L currently recommended for U.S. community water supplies has a negative effect on children’s IQ
The determination about lower IQs in children was based primarily on epidemiology studies in non-U.S. countries
Interesting, I wonder why they didn't conduct these studies in the U.S, y'know, where this is supposedly a big issue for the EPA to take action on.
There is a concern, however, that some pregnant women and children may be getting more fluoride than they need because they now get fluoride from many sources including treated public water, water-added foods and beverages, teas, toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash, and the combined total intake of fluoride may exceed safe amounts.
Great, if we find out the total consumption is too much, we can simply have people not need to buy things like mouthwash, or certain extra-flouride toothpastes as much. Doesn't seem like a water supply problem, seems like more of a "consumers buying too much of products they don't need" problem.
I can't find even a single source online that mentions any area with a flouride level above the maximum recommended amount by the CDC and EPA. That doesn't necessarily mean there isn't one, but it doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the idea that this is something the EPA truly needs to take any action on.
It looks like organizations like the "Flouride Action Network," an anti-flouride organization, are celebrating this.
The studies I could find cite differences in IQ with a few points maximum, and this is seemingly primarily due to heavy levels of consumption of flouride by pregnant women, not by the children themselves.
To me at least, it seems like they should be recommending specifically pregnant women stop using mouthwash while they're pregnant, and that very young children don't use mouthwash. Not that they need to "take action" over drinking water flouride levels.
Not really. You are just viewing from the wrong perspective. From study perspective, you are right, but the article is talking about legal aspect. Ever since the Supreme Court overturned Chevrons doctrine, courts now decide not experts what and how regulators can create and enforce rules. So EPA was ordered to do so after the study came by the judge.