The ADA statement (above) states that fluoride is an important trace element in human nutrition, like zinc and iron, even though the FDA states that fluoride is a drug, not a mineral nutrient. It is not necessary to get a prescription from your doctor to obtain zinc or iron. Any chemist will verify that fluoride is extremely toxic, more so than lead and almost as toxic as arsenic. Now the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for lead is 0.015 ppm, and the MCL for arsenic was recently lowered to 10 ppb (parts per billion), with a goal of 0.0 ppm for both of them. Why wouldn't .07 to 1.2 ppm (parts per million ) of fluoride be harmful, and why would the ADA compare fluoride with "salt, iron, vitamins A and D, chlorine, oxygen and even water itself?"
3) How much is too much?
As little as 0.04 mg/kg of body weight per day has been proven to cause adverse health effects. Retention of 2 mg a day will produce crippling skeletal fluorosis in one's lifetime.
4) Does fluoride accumulate in the body?
Yes. Approximately half of each day's fluoride intake will be retained. This is what makes it so dangerous. "The dose makes the poison." All sides agree to the fact that healthy kidneys can eliminate only about 50% of daily fluoride intake. The rest gets stored in calcified tissues, like bones and teeth.
The National Academy Of Sciences (NAS) stated in 1977 that, for the average individual, a retention of 2 mg/day would result in crippling skeletal fluorosis after 40 years. Considering the above mentioned intake level, it is likely that skeletal fluorosis already affects many millions of people in the United States.
