Fluoride
Beverly Hills Water Department
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.
Samples
Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)
Samples exceeding
health guidelines
Testing results - average by year
| Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 0.654 ppm | 57 | 57 | 0.355 ppm - 1.11 ppm |
| 2015 | 0.738 ppm | 10 | 10 | 0.496 ppm - 1.11 ppm |
| 2016 | 0.710 ppm | 10 | 10 | 0.600 ppm - 0.800 ppm |
| 2017 | 0.700 ppm | 10 | 10 | 0.600 ppm - 0.800 ppm |
| 2018 | 0.780 ppm | 10 | 10 | 0.700 ppm - 0.800 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.650 ppm | 10 | 10 | 0.1000 ppm - 0.800 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-01-07 | 9469-019-0721 | 0.377 ppm |
| 2014-01-07 | 9469-017-0715 | 0.836 ppm |
| 2014-01-14 | 9469-019-0349 | 0.490 ppm |
| 2014-01-14 | 9469-017-0352 | 0.934 ppm |
| 2014-01-22 | 9469-019-0520 | 0.462 ppm |
| 2014-01-22 | 9469-017-0526 | 0.966 ppm |
| 2014-01-28 | 9469-019-0625 | 0.478 ppm |
| 2014-01-28 | 9469-017-0620 | 0.888 ppm |
| 2014-02-04 | 9469-019-0523 | 0.434 ppm |
| 2014-02-04 | 9469-017-0531 | 0.895 ppm |
| 2014-02-19 | 9469-019-1032 | 0.527 ppm |
| 2014-02-19 | 9469-017-1027 | 0.975 ppm |
| 2014-02-25 | 9469-019-0518 | 0.405 ppm |
| 2014-02-25 | 9469-017-0522 | 0.892 ppm |
| 2014-03-18 | 9469-017-0740 | 0.835 ppm |
| 2014-03-18 | 9469-019-0748 | 0.362 ppm |
| 2014-03-25 | 9469-019-0928 | 0.391 ppm |
| 2014-03-25 | 9469-017-0932 | 0.816 ppm |
| 2014-04-01 | 9469-019-0855 | 0.379 ppm |
| 2014-04-01 | 9469-017-0852 | 0.918 ppm |
| 2014-04-08 | 9469-019-0820 | 0.386 ppm |
| 2014-04-08 | 9469-017-0825 | 0.845 ppm |
| 2014-04-15 | 9469-017-0817 | 0.822 ppm |
| 2014-04-15 | 9469-019-0800 | 0.369 ppm |
| 2014-04-29 | 9469-017-0820 | 0.966 ppm |
| 2014-04-29 | 9469-019-0828 | 0.486 ppm |
| 2014-05-08 | 9469-017-0744 | 0.873 ppm |
| 2014-05-08 | 9469-019-0736 | 0.396 ppm |
| 2014-05-13 | 9469-017-0331 | 0.860 ppm |
| 2014-05-13 | 9469-019-0335 | 0.407 ppm |
| 2014-06-03 | 9469-017-0741 | 1.04 ppm |
| 2014-06-10 | 9469-017-0738 | 0.791 ppm |
| 2014-06-10 | 9469-019-0730 | 0.388 ppm |
| 2014-06-17 | 9469-019-0737 | 0.404 ppm |
| 2014-06-17 | 9469-017-0740 | 0.791 ppm |
| 2014-09-16 | 9469-017-1255 | 0.854 ppm |
| 2014-09-16 | 9469-019-1245 | 0.626 ppm |
| 2014-09-23 | 9469-017-1345 | 0.638 ppm |
| 2014-09-23 | 9469-019-1349 | 0.473 ppm |
| 2014-09-30 | 9469-017-1230 | 0.802 ppm |
| 2014-09-30 | 9469-019-1220 | 0.436 ppm |
| 2014-10-07 | 9469-017-1242 | 0.682 ppm |
| 2014-10-07 | 9469-019-1230 | 0.355 ppm |
| 2014-10-14 | 9469-017-1320 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-10-14 | 9469-019-1316 | 0.392 ppm |
| 2014-10-21 | 9469-017-1325 | 0.922 ppm |
| 2014-10-21 | 9469-019-1315 | 0.638 ppm |
| 2014-11-18 | 9469-017-1359 | 0.641 ppm |
| 2014-11-18 | 9469-019-1353 | 0.458 ppm |
| 2014-11-25 | 9469-017-1140 | 0.748 ppm |
| 2014-11-25 | 9469-019-1136 | 0.431 ppm |
| 2014-12-04 | 9469-017-1125 | 0.881 ppm |
| 2014-12-04 | 9469-019-1121 | 0.468 ppm |
| 2014-12-08 | 9469-017-1151 | 0.802 ppm |
| 2014-12-08 | 9469-019-1140 | 0.495 ppm |
| 2014-12-29 | 9469-019-1322 | 0.622 ppm |
| 2014-12-29 | 9469-017-1323 | 1.11 ppm |
| 2015-01-08 | 9469-019-0822 | 0.505 ppm |
| 2015-01-08 | 9469-017-0825 | 1.02 ppm |
| 2015-01-14 | 9469-019-0907 | 0.496 ppm |
| 2015-01-14 | 9469-017-0905 | 0.880 ppm |
| 2015-01-22 | 9469-019-1131 | 0.551 ppm |
| 2015-01-22 | 9469-017-1140 | 1.11 ppm |
| 2015-01-28 | 9469-019-0628 | 0.536 ppm |
| 2015-01-28 | 9469-017-0630 | 0.890 ppm |
| 2015-02-03 | 9469-019-0838 | 0.498 ppm |
| 2015-02-03 | 9469-017-0843 | 0.897 ppm |