WINNIPEG – Manitoba health officials are considering reducing the amount of fluoride in drinking water after Health Canada experts concluded the current level should be cut to limit potential health hazards.

Health Canada commissioned a panel of experts in January 2007 to review the potential harms of exposure to fluoride through drinking water.

The panel recommended the level of fluoride in drinking water be cut to 0.7 milligrams per litre to prevent fluorosis — an overdose that causes tooth enamel to flake, become chalky, or in severe cases, stained black or brown.

Under Manitoba’s current drinking-water guidelines, fluoride levels must be within a range of 0.8 and 1.2 milligrams per litre. The maximum allowable concentration in Canada is 1.5 milligrams per litre.

© The Edmonton Journal 2008

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