Fluoride
Tulsa
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 | 0.718 ppm | 25 | 25 | 0.490 ppm - 0.920 ppm |
| 2015 | 0.682 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.520 ppm - 0.780 ppm |
| 2016 | 0.688 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.530 ppm - 0.830 ppm |
| 2017 | 0.710 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.570 ppm - 0.850 ppm |
| 2018 | 0.702 ppm | 26 | 26 | 0.510 ppm - 0.910 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.690 ppm | 24 | 24 | 0.500 ppm - 0.810 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 | 1030149 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2014-01-07 | 1030197 | 0.550 ppm |
| 2014-02-04 | 1037251 | 0.510 ppm |
| 2014-02-04 | 1037290 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2014-03-04 | 1043992 | 0.540 ppm |
| 2014-03-04 | 1043999 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2014-04-01 | 1050723 | 0.490 ppm |
| 2014-04-01 | 1050844 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2014-05-06 | 1059037 | 0.840 ppm |
| 2014-05-06 | 1059097 | 0.820 ppm |
| 2014-06-03 | 1065957 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2014-06-03 | 1066009 | 0.870 ppm |
| 2014-07-01 | 1072667 | 0.770 ppm |
| 2014-07-01 | 1072761 | 0.900 ppm |
| 2014-08-05 | 1081754 | 0.820 ppm |
| 2014-08-05 | 1081878 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2014-09-02 | 1088915 | 0.920 ppm |
| 2014-09-02 | 1089077 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2014-10-07 | 1098570 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2014-10-07 | 1098682 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2014-10-09 | 1099464 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2014-11-04 | 1105939 | 0.790 ppm |
| 2014-11-04 | 1105972 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2014-12-02 | 1112427 | 0.590 ppm |
| 2014-12-02 | 1112442 | 0.830 ppm |
| 2015-01-06 | 1120307 | 0.640 ppm |
| 2015-01-06 | 1120397 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2015-02-03 | 1127063 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2015-02-03 | 1127070 | 0.520 ppm |
| 2015-03-03 | 1134291 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2015-03-03 | 1134354 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2015-04-07 | 1142506 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2015-04-07 | 1142549 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2015-05-05 | 1150200 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-05-05 | 1150207 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2015-06-02 | 1157302 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2015-06-02 | 1157325 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2015-07-07 | 1165715 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2015-07-07 | 1165770 | 0.770 ppm |
| 2015-08-04 | 1173014 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2015-08-04 | 1173029 | 0.760 ppm |
| 2015-09-01 | 1180528 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2015-09-01 | 1180570 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2015-10-06 | 1189647 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2015-10-06 | 1189704 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2015-11-03 | 1196910 | 0.760 ppm |
| 2015-11-03 | 1196963 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2015-12-01 | 1203721 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2015-12-01 | 1203771 | 0.540 ppm |
| 2016-01-05 | 1211382 | 0.580 ppm |
| 2016-01-05 | 1211482 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2016-02-02 | 1218294 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2016-02-02 | 1218310 | 0.540 ppm |
| 2016-03-01 | 1224865 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2016-03-01 | 1224920 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2016-04-05 | 1233150 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2016-04-05 | 1233159 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2016-05-03 | 1240718 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2016-05-03 | 1240817 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2016-06-07 | 1249059 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2016-06-07 | 1249121 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2016-07-05 | 1255839 | 0.800 ppm |
| 2016-07-05 | 1255857 | 0.810 ppm |
| 2016-08-02 | 1264297 | 0.830 ppm |
| 2016-08-02 | 1264384 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2016-09-06 | 1272985 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2016-09-06 | 1273157 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2016-10-04 | 1280306 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2016-10-04 | 1280513 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2016-11-01 | 1287580 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2016-11-02 | 1288138 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2016-12-06 | 1296055 | 0.530 ppm |
| 2016-12-06 | 1296174 | 0.620 ppm |
| 2017-01-03 | 1302499 | 0.570 ppm |
| 2017-01-03 | 1302747 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2017-02-07 | 1311626 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2017-02-07 | 1311868 | 0.790 ppm |
| 2017-03-07 | 1319064 | 0.580 ppm |
| 2017-03-07 | 1319097 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2017-04-04 | 1326673 | 0.590 ppm |
| 2017-04-04 | 1326679 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2017-05-02 | 1334587 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2017-05-02 | 1334703 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2017-06-06 | 1344270 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2017-06-13 | 1346493 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2017-07-05 | 1351913 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2017-07-05 | 1352116 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2017-08-01 | 1359895 | 0.790 ppm |
| 2017-08-01 | 1359971 | 0.760 ppm |
| 2017-09-05 | 1369010 | 0.810 ppm |
| 2017-09-05 | 1369016 | 0.850 ppm |
| 2017-10-03 | 1376453 | 0.810 ppm |
| 2017-10-09 | 1377886 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2017-11-07 | 1385361 | 0.610 ppm |
| 2017-11-07 | 1385473 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2017-12-05 | 1392512 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2017-12-05 | 1392547 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-01-02 | 1399608 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2018-01-02 | 1399659 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2018-02-06 | 1408921 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-02-06 | 1409069 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2018-03-06 | 1416787 | 0.760 ppm |
| 2018-03-06 | 1416831 | 0.820 ppm |
| 2018-04-03 | 1424103 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2018-04-03 | 1424192 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2018-05-01 | 1432236 | 0.780 ppm |
| 2018-05-01 | 1432459 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2018-06-05 | 1442177 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2018-06-05 | 1442184 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2018-07-03 | 1449319 | 0.650 ppm |
| 2018-07-03 | 1449422 | 0.720 ppm |
| 2018-08-07 | 1458616 | 0.910 ppm |
| 2018-08-07 | 1458839 | 0.740 ppm |
| 2018-08-15 | 1461476 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-09-04 | 1466141 | 0.510 ppm |
| 2018-09-04 | 1466314 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2018-09-18 | 1470413 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2018-10-02 | 1473648 | 0.760 ppm |
| 2018-10-02 | 1473764 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2018-11-06 | 1483494 | 0.600 ppm |
| 2018-11-06 | 1483726 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2018-12-04 | 1490474 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2018-12-04 | 1490606 | 0.580 ppm |
| 2019-01-08 | 1498857 | 0.680 ppm |
| 2019-01-08 | 1499026 | 0.570 ppm |
| 2019-02-05 | 1506479 | 0.790 ppm |
| 2019-02-05 | 1506603 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2019-03-05 | 1514167 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2019-03-05 | 1514219 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2019-04-02 | 1521644 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2019-04-02 | 1521815 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2019-05-07 | 1531409 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2019-05-07 | 1531563 | 0.770 ppm |
| 2019-06-04 | 1538323 | 0.630 ppm |
| 2019-06-04 | 1538513 | 0.670 ppm |
| 2019-07-02 | 1545315 | 0.750 ppm |
| 2019-07-02 | 1545375 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2019-08-06 | 1554799 | 0.500 ppm |
| 2019-08-06 | 1554968 | 0.690 ppm |
| 2019-09-03 | 1562179 | 0.730 ppm |
| 2019-09-03 | 1562384 | 0.770 ppm |
| 2019-10-01 | 1569411 | 0.660 ppm |
| 2019-10-01 | 1569616 | 0.700 ppm |
| 2019-11-05 | 1578595 | 0.810 ppm |
| 2019-11-05 | 1578653 | 0.710 ppm |
| 2019-12-03 | 1585408 | 0.550 ppm |
| 2019-12-03 | 1585558 | 0.660 ppm |