The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its Protocol for Developing the Fluoride Human Health Toxicity Assessment, a step in its ongoing review of potential health risks associated with fluoride in drinking water. The release is part of the agency’s review of fluoride under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), which EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has designated a priority.
“Every American should be able to count on safe and healthy drinking water, plain and simple. In light of new science and real concerns from the public, the Trump EPA is working in lockstep with HHS to expedite our review of fluoride under the Safe Drinking Water Act,” said Zeldin. “Today’s important milestone means we are another step closer to completing this assessment years ahead of schedule. Our new action outlines specifically how EPA’s assessment will be conducted and advances our commitment to transparency and gold standard science.”
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said HHS is coordinating with EPA on the assessment. “Parents deserve the truth about fluoride in drinking water—not assumptions, not politics, but rigorous science,” Kennedy said. “That is why HHS is working side by side with EPA to ensure this assessment focuses on the health risks that matter most for children, including neurodevelopmental effects and dental fluorosis. By conducting a rigorous dose-response analysis and making every step of the process transparent, we will give states, communities, and families the scientific foundation they need to make informed decisions about fluoride in drinking water.”
Once complete, the draft human health toxicity assessment will be opened for public comment
Earlier this year, EPA released its Preliminary Assessment Plan and Literature Survey for public comment. The newly published Protocol reflects the feedback received on that plan and serves as a roadmap outlining how EPA will conduct the human health assessment.
The assessment will examine neurodevelopmental effects in children, such as impacts on brain function including IQ, as well as dental fluorosis, which can cause discoloration and pitting of tooth enamel. EPA will conduct a dose-response analysis to determine the fluoride exposure levels associated with these effects. The Protocol lays out the scientific approach for that analysis.
EPA said it will use systematic review practices aligned with SDWA requirements, incorporate expertise from HHS, and has not prejudged the outcome of the assessment. Once complete, the draft human health toxicity assessment will be opened for public comment. The final assessment could inform potential revisions to federal drinking water regulations and may also serve as a reference for state and local officials making decisions about fluoridating drinking water.
Original article online at: https://smartwatermagazine.com/news/newsroom/epa-releases-protocol-for-new-fluoride-health-risk-assessment