State Fluoride Database

Read the latest fluoride news from your state; find out if your town is fluoridated, see if any communities have recently rejected fluoridation, learn if your state has a law that mandates fluoridation, and other fluoride-related information.

Maryland

WATER FLUORIDATION STATUS:

  • PERCENT OF PEOPLE SERVED BY PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS THAT ARE FLUORIDATED:
    201893.7% – ranked #10 among the states. NOTE: The CDC also ranked Ohio as #10.
    201693.4%
    2014:  96.4%
    201297.2%
    2006:  93.8%
    2000:  90.7%
    1992:  85.8%
  • To see if your town is fluoridated, click here.
  • To learn when your town was fluoridated, and which fluoridation chemical it uses, click here.

WATER FLUORIDATION ACCIDENTS:

  • NOVEMBER 1979 – Annapolis:  Operator fails to close valve of fluoride container; causing 1,000 gallons of fluoride to be dumped into the water supply. 1 dialysis patient dies, 1 suffers a heart attack, 1 develops long-term brain damage, while others experience nausea, hypotension (low blood pressure), chest pain or pressure, diarrhea, itching, flushing, vomiting (blood tinged), weakness, dyspnea (breathing difficulty), profuse sweating, shakiness, localized numbness, abdominal cramping, and headache. Others not on dialysis experience nausea, headache, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and dizziness. Pepsi Cola files suit for $1.6 million for damage to product, while a surviving dialysis patient with resulting brain damage sues for $210 million. (SOURCE: Bevis 1981 | Evening Capital 1982. Also, Baltimore Sun (11/28/79); Clinical Toxicology, Vol. 18, No.5, pp. 531-541, 1981; “Field Investigations Report”, Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene (3/19/80); MMWR, Center for Disease Control, 29:No. 12 (3/28/80))

LATEST NEWS:

  • To see the latest news on fluoride developments in Maryland, click here.
  • To see an updated list of Maryland’s professionals calling for an end to fluoridation, click here.

Maryland’s FLUORIDATION LAW:

  • The State of Maryland does not mandate fluoridation.  Local governments control fluoridation policy in MD.  City councils can begin or discontinue fluoridation at their discretion, or by a referendum vote.  Each community’s fluoridation ordinance is unique.  To learn more about these fluoridation ordinances, click here.

DATA ON ORAL HEALTH:

FAN’S STATE COORDINATOR IN Maryland:

If you live in MD and want to get the fluoride out of your water contact Bernie Miltenberger, FAN’s Maryland state coordinator.

Maryland COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE REJECTED FLUORIDATION:

Community Date
 Thurmont February 3, 1994
 Middletown November 1993

MARYLAND WATER SYSTEMS WITH HIGH FLUORIDE LEVELS:

Water System County Population Size Fluoride Level (ppm)
Caroline Acres TP Caroline 375 1.8
Crisfield Somerset 4,578 1.9
Frenchtown Somerset 35 5.0
Greensboro Caroline 1,500 1.5
Oxford Utilities Talbot 850 1.9
Rumbley Somerset 190 5.1
Smith Island-Capitol-Ewell Somerset 38 1.9
Smith Island-Ewell Somerset 150 1.5
Smith Island-Field-Ewell Somerset 76 1.6
Smith Island-Hill-Ewell Somerset 100 1.6
Smith Island-Mid Town-Ewell Somerset 34 1.6
Smith Island-Rhodes Point S Somerset 100 2.2
Smith Island-Tylerton Somerset 165 1.9
Information from CDC’s Fluoridation Census published in 1993.

FLUORIDE POLLUTION SOURCES IN MARYLAND:

In 2008, Maryland ranked #18 out of 48 states for Hydrogen Fluoride releases (1,233,217  pounds) into the environment. The following data comes from EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). “Total releases” includes both water and air pollution. It’s important to note, however, that not all industries or sources that release fluoride into the environment are included in the TRI.

2008 Releases
(in pounds)
Type of Industry Name of Industry
580,058 Coal-fired power plant BRANDON SHORES & WAGNER COMPLEX. 1000 BRANDON SHORES RD, BALTIMORE, Maryland 21226 (ANNE ARUNDEL)
226,700 Coal-fired power plant MORGANTOWN GENERATING STATION. 12620 CRAIN HWY, NEWBURG, Maryland 20664 (CHARLES)
139,200 Coal-fired power plant CHALK POINT GENERATING STATION. 25100 CHALK POINT RD, AQUASCO, Maryland 20608 (PRINCE GEORGES)
102,300 Coal-fired power plant MIRANT DICKERSON GENERATING STATION. 21200 MARTINSBURG RD, DICKERSON, Maryland 20842 (MONTGOMERY)
88,088 Coal-fired power plant CP CRANE GENERATING STATION. 1001 CARROLL ISLAND RD, BALTIMORE, Maryland 21220 (BALTIMORE)
62,000 Paper LUKE PAPER CO. 300 PRATT ST, LUKE, Maryland 21540 (ALLEGANY)
30,000 Coal-fired power plant ALLEGHENY ENERGY INC R PAUL SMITH POWER STATION. 15952 LOCKWOOD RD, WILLIAMSPORT, Maryland 21795 (WASHINGTON)
4,404 Coal-fired power plant AES WARRIOR RUN INC. 11600 MEXICO FARMS RD SE, CUMBERLAND, Maryland 21502 (ALLEGANY)
457 Stone/Clay/Glass REDLAND BRICK INC CUSHWA PLANT. 15718 CLEAR SPRING RD, WILLIAMSPORT, Maryland 21795 (WASHINGTON)
10 Computers/Electronics BP SOLAR INTERNATIONAL LLC. 630 SOLAREX CT, FREDERICK, Maryland 21703 (FREDERICK)