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Fluoride has been added to the United States public water supply over the years. The practice of adding fluoride to drinking water began because it was considered a solution to tooth decay problems.
According to research by several scientists, water containing fluoride affects cavities and can lead to other harmful effects. Although fluoride has certain advantages, its negative impact on human health has led to much discussion about how to remove it from drinking water.
This article aims to reveal how you can remove fluoride from your water. But before that, let’s take a look at this element.
What is Fluoride and Where does It Come From?
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that is released from rocks into soil, water, and air. It is found in almost all water, although it is rarely enough to prevent tooth decay. It can also be added to drinking water supplies as a public health measure to reduce cavities.
In the 1940s, it was discovered that children who drank water containing fluoride had fewer tooth decay than children in other geographic areas where there was no fluoride in the water.
As a result, the practice of purposely adding it to water supplies to preserve the dental health of the general public.
Natural Fluoride vs Synthetic Fluoride
Fluoride can also be manufactured in a lab. This is where the majority of the fluoride in toothpaste and mouthwashes comes from. This is because it is easy to control the chemical compound and strength when you make it in the lab.
The synthetic type of Fluoride that is added to toothpaste, public water supplies, and mouthwashes is far more stable than raw Fluorine.
It has the ability to bind with other compounds, which makes it easy to use in water, and semi-solid materials like toothpaste.
Sodium Fluoride vs Fluoride
The major compound found in natural water sources is calcium fluoride.
The most commonly used chemicals in municipal water supplies are sodium fluorosilicate and fluorosilicic acid, which are both easily available and less expensive to make.
Just like other nutrients, fluoride seems to be effective and safe when used and ingested in adequate amounts. It can prevent cavities, but consuming it in large amounts, commonly in drinking water; can cause fluorosis that affects teeth and bones.
What are the Safe Levels of Fluoride in Drinking Water?
All water sources contain a normal amount of fluoride. The correct amount of fluoride in drinking water helps prevent tooth decay. Drinking water includes water used to drink and prepare beverages and the water we use for cooking.
There are guidelines that specify the highest levels of fluoride in the water that is safe to drink. This helps protect us from the potential undesirable health effects caused by too much fluoride.
Since the early 1960s, the sources of fluoride have increased. At that time, almost all fluoride intakes came from drinking water, food, and beverages prepared with fluoridated water. Now, water is one of the many sources. Other includes dental products like mouthwash and toothpaste, prescription fluoride supplements, and professionally applied fluoride products like varnishes and gels.
Since it is now likely to get enough fluoride with little amounts of fluoride in the water, the Public Health Service has established a new fluoride recommendation level used for community water fluoridation.
To help prevent tooth decay, the US Public Health Service (PHS) advised that municipal water supplies should contain around 0.7 and 1.2 milligrams of fluoride in each liter (mg/L) of drinking water starting in 1962. This recommendation was changed to 0.7 mg/L in 2015; the change was made partly because of the fact that people now get more fluoride from other sources than in the past. In the United States, natural drinking water sources have an average fluoride level of about 0.2 mg/L, though it can be much higher in some areas.
What are the Side Effects of Excess Fluoride in Drinking Water?
Fluoride is known to be fatal in high quantities and consumption of excess fluoride is common in drinking water. Excess fluoride can have varied effects, depending on the amount of fluoride exposure and whether it occurs regularly, over a long period of time, or rapidly.
Even though there is a recommended level of fluoride, consumption of excess fluoride can still occur in States, like Texas where there is a higher natural level of calcium fluoride.
Dental Fluorosis
This happens when you ingest too much fluoride while your teeth are still forming under the gums. As a result of this, white spots appear on the surface of your teeth, other than the appearance of white spots, dental fluorosis does not cause any symptoms or harm. It mostly affects children under the age of eight who still have their permanent teeth still coming in.
Children are likely to ingest toothpaste, which contains enough fluoride than fluoridated water. You may reduce your kid’s risk of having dental fluorosis by removing Fluoride from the water, as well as supervising them when brushing their teeth and making sure they don’t swallow too much toothpaste.
Skeletal Fluorosis
Similar to dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis affects bones instead of the teeth. Joint pain and stiffness are the early symptoms. It can change the bone structure and cause ligament calcification over time.
Skeletal fluorosis is caused by long-term exposure to high quantities of fluoride, which is commonly found in drinking water. Many things can cause too much fluoride in your water, including accidental contamination from fires or explosions. Skeletal fluorosis has been reported in the United States.
Thyroid Problems
In many instances, excess fluoride can harm the parathyroid glands. This can lead to hyperparathyroidism, which includes the unrestrained secretion of parathyroid hormones.
This can lead to calcium depletion in the bone structures and higher-than-normal calcium in the blood. Bones with lower calcium content are more prone to fractures.
Acute Fluoride Toxicity
Stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are all symptoms of acute fluoride toxicity. In certain circumstances, particularly with small children, the consequences can be fatal. This condition is rare because fluoride concentrations in water are too low to cause a fluoride overdose.
Ingesting large amounts of fluoride from water, dental products or supplements can cause this condition. If your state or county has a high fluoride level, removing it from your drinking water could be good for your health.
How to Remove Fluoride in Water?
Unfortunately, it is tough to remove fluoride from water. Because there have been repeated debates on fluoridation, a lot of people prefer to remove it to stay safe.
If you want to know how to remove fluoride from drinking water, the following are some of the ways you can remove fluoride from water.
Distillation Method: How to Remove Fluoride from Water at Home Naturally
For those looking for a cheap way to remove fluoride from water, this is the best option. Distillation is one of the oldest methods used for removing contaminants from water.
Different from other fluoride removal methods, distillation works like the Earth’s water cycle. The natural process is used, which allows the water to evaporate and then condense, water containing fluoride is heated in this method to cause it to evaporate into a new container, where it condenses.
When this occurs, the fluoride stays behind, this leaves the water clean and fresh. The only problem with using this method is that it removes important minerals. For this reason, it is best to remineralize the water to slightly increase the pH level and achieve optimal water quality.
Check out the best home water distillers for fluoride removal.
Water Filter Pitcher: How to Remove Fluoride from Water Cheaply
This is one of the most often used methods in homes for removing fluoride and other contaminants from water. The water pitcher, unlike other methods, is very simple to use and requires no installation.
To use it, simply fill it with water and put it in the refrigerator. The Water filter pitchers have three main setups, the tank, filter, and pitcher. The water will first enter the tank before passing through the filter. The filter then captures any contaminants, allowing clean water to flow down to the pitcher.
Check out the best water filter pitchers for fluoride removal.
Reverse Osmosis Filter: How to Remove Fluoride from Water Effectively
The reverse osmosis filtration method is one of the most effective ways to remove fluoride from water. This is a popular method of removing fluoride because it requires minimal maintenance, compared to other methods.
This method is safe to use and does not cost much. It uses pressure technology to force the water entering your home through the filtration process. It comes with a semi-permeable membrane that removes fluoride once the water has passed through it. In addition to fluoride, it also removes other contaminants like chlorine, lead, and more.
Check out the best Reverse Osmosis systems for fluoride removal.
What is the Best Way to Remove Fluoride in Water?
If you are looking for the best way to remove fluoride from your water, I recommend Reverse Osmosis. This method is a simple solution to remove fluoride from drinking water. It can remove about 95 percent of fluoride from water.
Reverse osmosis technology uses water pressure to push tap water through the filtration process. Aside from removing fluoride, the RO system can also remove most other contaminants in your water.
One of the best Reverse Osmosis systems to remove fluoride effectively is the Waterdrop G3P800 RO System (read the review here).
How to Remove Fluoride from Water for Plants
Fluoride is poisonous to plant foliage. It inhibits photosynthesis and other vital processes of plants.
Therefore, it is recommended to remove fluoride from water for plants by using a Reverse Osmosis system.
How to Remove Fluoride from Water without Filters?
You may use a home water distiller to remove the fluoride from water through a natural distillation process.
How to Remove Fluoride from Water for Free?
While you can remove fluoride from water for free by manually boiling the water and collecting the steams and letting them condense into water, it is time-wasting and troublesome.
Moreover, it is not expensive to buy a home water distiller or Reverse Osmosis system to remove fluoride in water.
How to Remove Fluoride from Water by Boiling It?
Boiling water does not reduce fluoride in the water, worse, it concentrates the fluoride content in the remaining water.
How to Remove Fluoride from Water with Holy Basil?
No way! The holy basil does not help in removing fluoride from water.
FAQ on Fluoride Removal
1. Can you remove fluoride from water by boiling it?
No. Boiling the water will not remove fluoride in it.
2. Is water containing fluoride safe to drink?
Yes if the fluoride level is below 0.7mg/L as per recommendation by the US Public Health Service.
3. How to remove fluoride from water naturally?
Fluoride can be removed from water naturally through a distillation process.
Conclusion on How to Remove Fluoride In Water
Fluoride plays an important role in many processes, including water treatment. But it can cause many health problems in the human body if excess. Therefore, you must remove it from your water supply.
You can use any of the above-mentioned methods to remove fluoride in water.
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