A federal judge has ordered the U.S. EPA to step up its regulation of fluoride in drinking water due to concerns that elevated levels may harm children's cognitive development.
U.S. District Judge Edward Chen highlighted emerging studies that indicate a potential risk, though he stopped short of confirming that the typical amount of fluoride added to water is definitively linked to lower IQ in kids. Still, he called for action, instructing the EPA to reduce this risk, without specifying what steps they should take.
This ruling is a fairly groundbreaking notch in the ongoing water fluoridation debate.
Ashley Malin, a researcher from the University of Florida studying the effects of fluoride, described it as "the most historic ruling in the U.S. fluoridation debate that we’ve ever seen." It is also the first time a federal court has acknowledged the neurodevelopmental risks associated with fluoride at levels commonly recommended for U.S. drinking water.
The judge's decision leaves the EPA with the responsibility of determining how to lower the potential risks while balancing the benefits of fluoride for dental health. What comes next will likely shape future policy, as the agency is now tasked with finding solutions to a problem that’s being increasingly recognized by new research.
