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Contents
- Introduction
- Zoom in on the fluoride controversy: why is it a cause for concern?
- Fluorine history
- The health risks of fluoride
- The situation in Belgium and elsewhere
- The ÖKO EUROPE filtration system: Our shield against Fluorine
- Conclusion
Introduction
Water is essential to life. But do you really know what you're drinking? One often overlooked component of our water is fluoride. Once seen as the white knight of dental health, recent discoveries highlight the risks associated with excessive consumption.
Zoom in on the fluoride controversy: why is it a cause for concern?
Fluoride has long been promoted by dentists for its anti-caries properties. This beneficial effect is even recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, recent studies show a different, less positive side to fluoride.
In 2010, the WHO ranked fluoride among the ten major chemicals posing a public health problem, alongside asbestos and arsenic.
Fluorine history
Fluoride has gradually found its way into our everyday products, particularly toothpastes. It was a laboratory working for the American company Alcoa that first brought to light the benefits of fluoride on the dentition. Since then, the substance has been widely adopted, so much so that it was even prescribed for children. This practice has been banned in France since 2008.
The health risks of fluoride
When fluoride attacks: from dental fluorosis to caries.
Too much fluoride can cause disease. Dental fluorosis, for example, is a condition manifested by whitish or brown stains on the teeth, for which there is no treatment. What's more, prolonged over-consumption of fluoride, as indicated by a French study, can make bones brittle and fragile.
Impact on bone strength.
Doses in excess of 10 mg per day over a period of ten years can lead to bone fluorosis. Bones become more brittle, increasing the risk of fractures.
Source : Le fluor, un ami qui ne vous veut pas que du bien, France info articleDental fluorosis affects around 2% of children in France. Once all the permanent teeth have come through, this risk no longer exists. But if doses are much higher, at 10 mg fluoride a day for ten years for example, there is a risk of bone fluorosis, which makes the bones brittle. This can happen when tap water is highly fluoridated.
Source : "Fluoride, a friend who wants to harm you": the dangers of your toothpaste, TF1 info articleA French study reveals that 45% of 4/12 year-olds have excessive fluoride intakes. Tea bags, tap water... all contain fluoride.
Fluoride in water and food
According to the WHO, the fluoride limit is 0.05 mg per day and per kilo of body weight, all intakes combined, without exceeding 1 mg/day. For a 5-year-old child, this is equivalent to 1 mg/day.
The fluoride content of tap water is limited to 1.5 mg per liter.
| Provenance | Amount of fluorine |
|---|---|
| Tap water | 1.5 mg per liter |
| Tea cup | Up to 1 mg |
| Quézac | 2.2 mg per liter |
| Badoit | 1.2 mg per liter |
| Saint-Yorre | 1 mg per liter |
| Vichy Célestins | 0.5 mg per liter |
| San Pellegrino | 0.5 mg per liter |
| Wattwiller | < 0,5 mg par litre |
| Hépar | 0.4 mg per liter |
| Contrex | 0.36 mg per liter |
| Perrier | < 0,2 mg par litre |
| Vittel | 0.16 mg per liter |
| Evian | 0.12 mg per liter |
| Canned crab | 0.21 mg per 100 g |
| Canned shrimp | 0.2 mg per 100 g |
| Fresh mackerel | 0.15 mg per 100 g |
| Fresh cod | 0.03 mg per 100 g |
| Fresh Atlantic salmon | 0.03 mg per 100 g |
| Fresh trout | 0.03 mg per 100 g |
| Canned tuna in oil, drained | 0.03 mg per 100 g |
The situation in Belgium and elsewhere
Limal in the spotlight
As you probably know, ÖKO EUROPE has approached the EUROFINS - Euraceta laboratory to carry out independent analyses on French and Belgian soils of tap water and of the effectiveness of the ÖKO EUROPE filtration system on all contaminants, pesticides, metals, medicines, etc.
The list goes on and on.
On August 11, 2023, we commissioned the EUROFINS Euraceta laboratory to study the effectiveness of the filter on fluoride, based on Limal tap water and voluntarily adding almost 2 mg of Fluorine to the solution.
Before filtration, the fluoride concentration in the water was therefore 1.96 mg/litre.
Maximum fluoride levels in European tap water
EU directive no. 2020/2184 of 16/12/20 on the quality of water intended for human consumption sets the maximum permissible threshold for fluoride in water at 1.5 mg/l in Europe.
Focus on France
In France, tap water can sometimes exceed the 1.5 mg/l threshold set by the European directive. This was the case in Coulommiers, Seine-et-Marne, in 2020, with a reading of 1.67 mg/l: https: //www.leparisien.fr/seine-et-marne-77/coulommiers-alerte-au-fluor-dans-l-eau-du-robinet-08-01-2020-8231766.php.
The ÖKO EUROPE Filtration System: Our shield against Fluorine
Zoom in on ÖKO EUROPE: how does it work?
Faced with these dangers, it's reassuring to know that solutions exist. The ÖKO EUROPE filtration system offers an effective response by removing fluoride and other harmful contaminants from water.
Pour rappel, notre système de filtration est breveté & issu de la NASA. Il fonctionne avec une technologie d’électro-adsorption unique : Une charge électrique positive est créée lorsque l'eau traverse le filtre, ce qui attire la charge négative présente sur la plupart des contaminants submicroniques (< 1 micron comme les virus et les bactéries entre autres).
Stunning results: the study that speaks for itself
As mentioned above, ÖKO EUROPE carried out an analysis to assess the effectiveness of its filtration system on fluorine by the EUROFINS - Euraceta laboratory, on 11/08/23.
The analysis report provided by the laboratory is here or on our Technology and Analysis page.
The study shows that the ÖKO EUROPE filtration system is extremely effective in guaranteeing water without excess fluoride.
Here are the results:
- Before filtration: Fluoride content of 1.96 mg/l ( deliberately added to obtain water unfit for use);
- Après filtration : < 0,1 mg/l
Conclusion
Water is essential to our survival. It makes up 60% of our bodies, and it's vital to take care of its quality. Today, the debate on fluoride in water is far from over, and collective solutions will probably take years to arrive. In the meantime, we can only recommend the use of a filtration system such as our ultra-filtering water bottles for you and your loved ones.
Author's note: The aim here is not to alarm or revolt, but simply to inform so that everyone is aware of the risks, particularly for children under 12. I myself discovered while preparing this article that I've had dental fluorosis since I was a child, like 2% of children in France. For me, it's a white spot that's clearly visible when I smile, in the center (I'm not to be pitied, for others it's a brown spot...). A doctor told my mother it was a reaction to an antibiotic, but since I was drinking tap water, I don't think so. I think I now have the real explanation.