Fluoride
City of South Sioux City
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.
Testing results - average by year
Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | 1.15 ppm | 12 | 12 | 1.01 ppm - 1.26 ppm |
2015 | 1.12 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.458 ppm - 1.39 ppm |
2016 | 0.910 ppm | 14 | 14 | 0.467 ppm - 1.08 ppm |
2017 | 1.01 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.452 ppm - 1.14 ppm |
2018 | 1.02 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.705 ppm - 1.13 ppm |
2019 | 0.873 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.469 ppm - 1.03 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 | 279236 | 1.14 ppm |
2014-02-04 | 284641 | 1.12 ppm |
2014-03-05 | 288673 | 1.01 ppm |
2014-04-09 | 291899 | 1.16 ppm |
2014-05-19 | 297688 | 1.21 ppm |
2014-06-25 | 304019 | 1.20 ppm |
2014-07-14 | 310086 | 1.10 ppm |
2014-08-04 | 315483 | 1.17 ppm |
2014-09-15 | 321387 | 1.04 ppm |
2014-10-07 | 326155 | 1.15 ppm |
2014-11-24 | 333554 | 1.24 ppm |
2014-12-02 | 337235 | 1.26 ppm |
2015-01-13 | 341114 | 0.458 ppm |
2015-02-09 | 346707 | 1.39 ppm |
2015-03-17 | 349662 | 1.31 ppm |
2015-04-13 | 354627 | 1.30 ppm |
2015-05-20 | 362148 | 1.20 ppm |
2015-06-08 | 366672 | 1.27 ppm |
2015-07-07 | 370673 | 1.30 ppm |
2015-08-05 | 378939 | 1.29 ppm |
2015-09-08 | 384460 | 1.09 ppm |
2015-10-13 | 389319 | 0.890 ppm |
2015-11-09 | 396271 | 1.000 ppm |
2015-12-07 | 400370 | 0.940 ppm |
2016-01-12 | 0.957 ppm | |
2016-02-24 | 0.924 ppm | |
2016-03-07 | 0.910 ppm | |
2016-04-04 | 0.955 ppm | |
2016-05-02 | 0.815 ppm | |
2016-06-07 | 1.000 ppm | |
2016-07-11 | 1.08 ppm | |
2016-07-26 | 1.04 ppm | |
2016-07-26 | 0.467 ppm | |
2016-08-10 | 0.976 ppm | |
2016-09-06 | 0.662 ppm | |
2016-10-12 | 0.996 ppm | |
2016-11-07 | 0.977 ppm | |
2016-12-05 | 0.987 ppm | |
2017-01-03 | 1.04 ppm | |
2017-02-06 | 1.04 ppm | |
2017-03-20 | 1.14 ppm | |
2017-04-04 | 1.13 ppm | |
2017-05-09 | 1.06 ppm | |
2017-06-19 | 0.452 ppm | |
2017-07-05 | 1.05 ppm | |
2017-08-09 | 1.10 ppm | |
2017-09-11 | 1.03 ppm | |
2017-10-02 | 1.02 ppm | |
2017-11-06 | 1.05 ppm | |
2017-12-05 | 1.02 ppm | |
2018-01-02 | 529218 | 1.01 ppm |
2018-02-07 | 534786 | 0.958 ppm |
2018-03-07 | 538418 | 1.02 ppm |
2018-04-17 | 541403 | 1.02 ppm |
2018-05-07 | 547668 | 1.01 ppm |
2018-06-05 | 553116 | 1.07 ppm |
2018-07-09 | 557605 | 1.10 ppm |
2018-08-13 | 565355 | 1.13 ppm |
2018-09-05 | 569730 | 0.705 ppm |
2018-10-02 | 575542 | 1.06 ppm |
2018-11-06 | 581087 | 1.08 ppm |
2018-12-05 | 585078 | 1.07 ppm |
2019-01-14 | 588347 | 0.882 ppm |
2019-02-11 | 593763 | 0.959 ppm |
2019-03-05 | 597308 | 0.469 ppm |
2019-04-01 | 600956 | 0.766 ppm |
2019-05-22 | 608556 | 0.952 ppm |
2019-06-10 | 612631 | 0.910 ppm |
2019-07-09 | 617776 | 0.979 ppm |
2019-08-12 | 626235 | 1.03 ppm |
2019-09-23 | 630621 | 0.984 ppm |
2019-10-07 | 635790 | 0.680 ppm |
2019-11-12 | 642578 | 0.932 ppm |
2019-12-02 | 648209 | 0.935 ppm |