2011/09/14 Council Agenda Packet

• Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect Neuro Toxicology ELSEVIER NeuroToxicology 28(2007) 1032-1042 Confirmation of and explanations for elevated blood lead and other disorders in children exposed to water disinfection and fluoridation chemicals Myron J. Coplan'*, Steven C. Patch b, Roger D. Masters C, Marcia S. Bachman a e Intellequity Technology Services Natick,Massachusetts, United States b Environmental Quality Institute, University of North Carolina in Asheville, United States Dartmouth College Institute for Nuroscience and Society, United States Received 23 February 2006;accepted 12 February 2007 Available online 1 March 2007 Abstract Silicofluorides(SiFs),fluosilicic acid(FSA)and sodium fluosilicate(NaFSA),are used to fluoridate over 90%of US fluoridated municipal water supplies.Living in communities with silicofluoride treated water(SiFW)is associated with two neurotoxic effects:(1)Prevalence of children with elevated blood lead(PbB> 10µg/dL)is about double that in non-fluoridated communities(Risk Ratio 2,x2 p<0.01).SiFW is associated with serious corrosion of lead-bearing brass plumbing,producing elevated water lead(PbW)at the faucet.New data refute the long-prevailing belief that PbW contributes little to children's blood lead(PbB),it is likely to contribute 50%or more.(2)SiFW has been shown to interfere with cholinergic function.Unlike the fully ionized state of fluoride(F-)in water treated with sodium fluoride(NaFW),the SiF anion,[SiF6]2-in SiFW releases F-in a complicated dissociation process.Small amounts of incompletely dissociated[SiF6]2-or low molecular weight(LMW)silicic acid (SA)oligomers may remain in SiFW.A German PhD study found that SiFW is a more powerful inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase(AChE)than NaFW.It is proposed here that SiFW induces protein mis-folding via a mechanism that would affect polypeptides in general,and explain dental fluorosis, a tooth enamel defect that is not merely "cosmetic" but a "canary in the mine" foretelling other adverse, albeit subtle, health and behavioral effects.Efforts to refute evidence of such effects are analyzed and rebutted.In 1999 and 2000,senior EPA personnel admitted they knew of no health effects studies of SiFs. In 2002 SiFs were nominated for NTP animal testing. In 2006 an NRC Fluoride Study Committee recommended such studies.It is not known at this writing whether any had begun. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Elevated blood lead;Silicofluoride;Fluosilicate;Brass corrosion;Enzyme inhibition;Fluorosis 1. Introduction community could save 4 cents per year per resident(McClure, 1950). Chronic ingestion of water bearing 1 ppm of fluoride ion FSA(H2SiF6)and NaFSA,its sodium salt(Na2SiF6), share (F-) from NaF was thought harmless to humans when the [SiF6]2- anion, a fluoride complex herein called "silico- municipal water fluoridation began in 1945. NaFSA was fluoride" (SiF) which dissociates in water, releasing F . The substituted in 1947 and endorsed in 1950 by the US Public dissociation was predicted to be"virtually complete"at 1 ppm Health Service without prior animal testing because rats grew of F- so that SiFW would be "just like" NaF treated water just as fast, their teeth got as much F- as from NaF, and a (NaFW).Today,92%of US fluoridated drinking water is SiFW (CDC, 1993). Senior EPA personnel have found no evidence SiFW was ever tested for adverse health effects (Fox, 1999; Thurnau, 2000). In 2002, SiFs were "nominated" for animal tests (NTP, 2002) that had not begun as of July 2006. * Corresponding author.Tel.:+1 508 653 6147;fax:+1 508 655 3677. The NRC report, "Fluoride in Drinking Water...A E-mail addresses:MYRONCOPLAN@aol.com(Mi.Coplan), patch@unca.edu(S.C.Patch),Roger.D.Masters@Dartmoth.edu Scientific Review of EPA's Standards" (NRC, 2006) empha- (R.D.Masters),maribac@aol.com(M.S.Bachman). sizes the importance of such testing with questions about 0161-813X/$—see front matter©2007 Elsevier Inc.All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.neuro.2007.02.012