A My Turn piece promoting fluoridation by Lee and Sherie Dye claims fluoridation opponents are wrong about facts and science. But in their two examples, it is the Dyes that have the facts just plain wrong.

The Dyes site a recent scientific study that found a significant risk of osteosarcoma among boys drinking fluoridated water: “In point of fact, that was not a peer-reviewed study by Harvard researchers.”

Here is the journal where this work was published by four Harvard researchers more than a year ago: Cancer Causes and Control (2006), “Age-specific Fluoride Exposure in Drinking Water and Osteosarcoma (United States)” by Elise B. Bassin, David Wypij, Roger B. Davis and Murray A. Mittleman.

The journal Cancer Causes and Control is highly respected and most definitely peer-reviewed. All four of the authors have appointments at Harvard. The Dyes’ errors appear to come from news releases issued by the American Dental Association www.ada.org/prof/resources/topics/topics_fluoride_talkingpoints.pdf.

The Dyes also claim the 507-page National Research Council (NRC) review of the toxicology of fluoride in drinking water did not find studies showing thyroid function disruption by fluoride at levels in fluoridated water. Here are actual quotes from the NRC review:

“Thyroid Function: Fluoride exposure in humans is associated with elevated TSH concentrations, increased goiter prevalence, and altered T4 and T3 concentrations.” (Page 262)

“(The thyroid effects are associated with average fluoride intakes that) will be reached by persons with average exposures at fluoride concentrations of 1-4 mg/L in drinking water, especially the children.” (Page 260)

Juneau would fluoridate at about 1 mg/L. Therefore, anyone drinking even an average amount of water might be at risk for thyroid function disruption according to the NRC.

The full text is available online at www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11571.

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