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Archive for the ‘Fluoride’ Category
The Fluoride In Your Drinking Water is Industrial Waste
Thursday, April 8th, 2010Fluoride in our tap and municipal water continues to gain attention as a health concern for much of the public who have been exposed to this long-time practice. With that attention comes more awareness, additional research on it’s long-term affects, and a better understanding of just where the fluoride found in our city tap water originates.
It comes as a surprise to many that the fluoride added to our tap water is not the type of fluoride used at the dentists office and in toothpaste (sodium fluoride), but is rather a form of industrial waste called hydrofluorosilicic acid, a byproduct of the phosphate industry and the primary form used for water fluoridation here in the US. In 2000, Dr. J William Hirzy, Senior Vice President of EPA’s Headquarters Union in Washington DC, made the statement “If this stuff (fluoride) gets into our air, it’s a pollutant; if it gets into a river, it’s a pollutant; if it gets into a lake, it’s a pollutant; but if it goes right into your drinking water system, that’s not a pollutant. That’s amazing. There’s gotta be a better way to manage this stuff.”
This video was put together by the fluoride action network at fluoridealert.org; champions of the movement to spread the word on the dangers of fluoride in our water. Our regular readers are familiar with our writings on fluoride, but this video highlights a troublesome dimension to fluoridation covering the history behind where hydrofluorosilicic acid originates and it’s impact. Towards the end you will notice some water filters referenced that are adept at removing fluoride from water, in particular the berkey water filter. There’s a good amount of information packed in here in a short time, so if you’re like me, you may find yourself hitting the rewind button a couple times.
How To Prime PF-2 Fluoride and Arsenic Water Filters
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010Let’s review how one primes and installs the PF-2 fluoride and arsenic water filters for the Berkey Water Filter. The PF-2 water filters must be primed prior to installation, and when installing into the lower chamber they should not be screwed on more than 8 revolutions onto the Black Berkey stem.
The media within the PF-2 water filter contains micro fine dust as a result of the manufacturing process that can cause the purified water to have a bitter taste. To dislodge the process dust from the Berkey PF-2 water filters, it is necessary to prime each element. We start off with the video showing how the priming procedure is done, followed by text instructions and some additional helpful notes.
How To Prime Your PF-2 Filters Video
PF-2 Water Filter Priming Procedure
- With blue caps in place, wash the exterior of each PF-2 water filter with a mild dish soap.
- With clean hands, remove both blue caps from each end of the PF-2 water filter.
- Place the rubber-priming button (tan colored) onto one end of the PF-2 water filter and align the hole in the button with the hole in the PF-2 water filter.
- Press the priming button up against a sink faucet so that the priming button creates a seal between the faucet and the PF-2 filter.
- While holding the priming button against the faucet, turn on the cold water gently and allow the water to fill the cavity of the PF-2 water filter and discharge from the opposite end. Allow the water to discharge for at least 20 seconds or until the water runs clear, whichever is longer. Hint: Place your thumb on top of the faucet to apply pressure creating a tighter seal.
- Now repeat the process by turning the PF-2 water filter over and priming the filter from the opposite end in the same manner.
- Prime each additional PF-2 filter repeating steps 3-6.
PF-2 Water Filter Installation Procedure
- Remove the upper chamber from the filtration system and place it upside down on a counter so that the stems of the Black Berkey elements are facing upward.
- With the water flow arrow pointing away from the upper chamber (the PF-2 water filters have threads on one end only) screw the PF-2 water filters onto the stems of each black berkey element 8 revolutions. Notes: a) Do not screw the PF-2 filter on more than 8 revolutions as this may damage the internal media screen b) The flow arrow should point away from the upper chamber.
- Replace the upper chamber onto the lower chamber (the PF-2 water filters should now be hanging in the lower chamber). Fill the upper reservoir with water and let it drain into the lower chamber. When the lower chamber is full, discard this 1st batch of water, which may contain some residual process dust. Your purification system is ready for use. Note: On rare occasion it can take up to 5 full chamber flushes/batches before the dust subsides. If the dust not not subside after the 5th full batch of water, please contact us for potential replacement.
Additional Notes on the PF-2’s
- When the lower chamber is full, the PF-2 water filters will be immersed.
- When the water level in the lower chamber rises above the bottom of the PF-2 water filters, it is normal for small amounts of water to burp through threads connecting the PF-2 water filters to the Black Berkey elements.
- The lower chamber in most gravity purification systems has a 2-3 gallon capacity and a typical household uses about 1 refill per day. We recommend that the upper chamber be filled at night prior to going to sleep. The water from the upper chamber should be purified and awaiting use in the lower chamber by the morning. It is normal for the purification process to slow down significantly when the water level in the lower chamber rises above the bottom of the PF-2 filter. Households requiring more water can speed up the flow rate by drawing off the purified water into a water pitcher or other containing when the water level in the lower chamber rises about the bottom of the PF-2 water filters.
Click here for instructions on How to Prime the Black Berkey Purification Elements.
Fluoride Water Contamination in Northern Punjab, India
Friday, February 19th, 2010By now, many of you are aware of the bodily risks that fluoride in your water presents. Fluoride toxicity harms bones, causes stiff joints, encourages skeletal abnormalities, raises the risk of cancer, results in genetic damage, can damage the thyroid, and hampers nervous system function. Given that you body does not excrete and rid itself of fluoride easily, continual exposure results in continual accumulation. Many states in the US have stopped the practice of fluoridation all together, and the question “to fluoridate or not to fluoridate” is becoming commonplace on state voting ballots.
Fluoride Contamination in Punjab
If you are not convinced of the detrimental affects of fluoride ingestion, the news video below on the Northern region of Punjab in India is a case study on it’s toxic effects. In this region, contamination occurred through natural mediums and chemical fertilizers. While this news story does not speak to the fluoride concentration levels, a little research turned up a study by the Environmental Biology Laboratory, Post Graduate Department of Zoology, S.G.N. Khalsa (PG) College, in Sri Ganganagar, India called Fluoride contamination in drinking water in rural habitations of Northern Rajasthan, India. This study provided some valuable data and recommendations.
At the time of this study’s release in 2007, fluoride was recorded in the ranges of 4.78 and 1.01 ppm (parts per million) with an average fluoride concentration of 2.82 ppm for the Rajasthan region. To put this in perspective, the Environmental Protection Agency allows up to 1 ppm of fluoride in water for fluoridation purposes. This study states “Due to the higher fluoride level in drinking water several cases of dental and skeletal fluorosis have appeared at an alarming rate”. In other words, concentrations at only 3-5 times higher that what the EPA currently allows in the US has resulted in alarming rates of dental and skeletal fluorosis with the study calling for “an instant need to take ameliorative steps in this region to prevent the population from fluorosis.”
Do We Need Fluoride in our Drinking Water?
To be clear, the news story speaks to boiling the water, however this only address the bacteria and parasites in the water. Boiling will not remove or reduce fluoride levels in water. In 2007 the ADA warned parents not to mix baby formula with tap water in the first 12 months of development so as to avoid fluoride intake. Are the risks of fluoride ingestion worth the claimed rewards? Many would argue that brushing multiple times per day, flossing, and visiting your local dentist regularly are more than sufficient in this day and age for teeth health.
For those of you who are drinking fluoridated tap water, a berkey water filter equipped with a PF-2 fluoride filter will remove the fluoride to 99.75%. If you are unsure if your city/municipal water is fluoridated, simply call you local town water authority and they will be able to provide you this information.
Fluoride in Water and Fluoride Water Filters
Thursday, December 24th, 2009Good strong teeth in a child is a priority to conscientious parents and fluoride in water is considered by many to help achieve that. Yet, in spite of the advancements in dental care, more than one fourth of 2 to 5 year olds, and half of kids 12 to 15, have one or more cavities. Further, tooth decay has affected two thirds teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19. These statistics and other disturbing facts about the dangers of fluoride in water have parents increasingly purchasing fluoride water filters.
Many agree with studies that seem to indicate that adding fluoride to public water will decrease the problem of tooth decay, while others strongly disagree. Fluoride is the 13th most common element in the earth’s crust and exists naturally in water. Some water has sufficient natural fluoride, but what if it is not naturally present? Should fluoride be added to water systems? The debate about fluoride won’t be settled here. Rather, the purpose of this article is to consider a few of these points, and to give you some options.
Supporters of Fluoride in Water
Supporters of fluoridation state, “Today, water fluoridation is estimated to reduce tooth decay by 20-40%….It is well known that fluoride helps prevent and even reverse the early stages of tooth decay.” These statements have the authority of a trained doctor. Similarly, “For over 60 years, water fluoridation has proven to be a safe and cost-effective way to reduce dental cavities.”
Those favoring use of fluoride in general claim that its presence combats tooth decay in two ways. First, it strengthens the developing teeth and second, it aids the surface of the teeth by preventing the acid produced by the bacteria in plaque from dissolving, or demineralizing tooth enamel. Fluoride also allows teeth damaged by acid to remineralize, or repair themselves. It won’t repair cavities, but it can reverse minor tooth decay and prevent new cavities from forming.
Opponents of Fluoride in Water
The evidence for fluoride as part of dental care is well supported, however the data supporting the benefits of adding fluoride in water is not as strong. Opponents state; “There is no difference in the tooth decay rates of the fluoridated and nonfluoridated water regions surveyed.” They claim that increased amount of fluoride in children can actually increase tooth decay. Too much fluoride during the teeth developing years can cause enamel fluorosis, a mottling or discoloration of the permanent teeth. To add fluoride to water, along with toothpaste and treatments can exceed the maximum level that is safe. Read the back of your toothpaste and you’ll learn that fluoride poisoning is accompanied by vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, increased salivation, or increased thirst with symptoms lasting up to 24 hours but appear within 30 minutes after ingestion. Are we slowly poisoning our bodies with continuous low levels of fluoride in our water? Wouldn’t younger children be more susceptible?
Those opposed to the added fluoride say the studies have not considered it’s long range effects. They claim it is directly linked to changes in bone structure and strength, cancer, impairs the immune system, causes birth defects and perinatal deaths, causes initial stages of skeletal fluorosis, inhibits key enzymes, causes osteoarthritis, and suppresses thyroid function. What do they say about the studies that prove that fluoride in water is good for dental hygiene? The studies had several flaws. First, they did not consider the differences between “natural fluoride” (ex: CaF) and added fluoride in water (ex: NaF). Second, these studies did not consider the other minerals in the water and these could actually be the cause of decreased instances of tooth decay. Third, adequate risk analysis was lacking with dental fluorosis as the only barometer for safety being included.
Berkey Fluoride Water Filters
Fluoride Water Filters
If your conclusion from these points is that fluoride should not be in your drinking water, what are your options? Some opt for bottled water, but this can get expensive. A better alternative is to purchase a fluoride water filter. Some expensive units do this, yet there are also more affordable systems that provide optional fluoride water filters. Berkey water filter systems, for example, have available an additional fluoride filter that can be attached below the primary black berkeys and will remove fluoride from the water. If you don’t want fluoride, you don’t have to drink it.
Fluoride Linked to Bone Cancer - Study Finds
Thursday, June 18th, 2009In what appears to be another damning blow to water fluoridation, a recent study found blood fluoride levels significantly higher in patients with a rare bone cancer called Osteosarcoma when compared to control groups. Prior studies have made similar claims and seem to reinforce these findings. Let’s hope this makes more people aware of the critically important fluoride debate.
Read the Reuters Fluoride Article here.
The Dangers of Fluoride - The Great Debate
Saturday, February 14th, 2009I sometimes wonder what percentage of the population is aware of the ongoing fluoride debate. There’s absolutely a growing voice of dissent over municipal water fluoridation, but how familiar is the everyday citizen? I know that a good majority of my friends and family are not aware of it. I’ve never heard it brought up on any major news television programs like 20/20 or Dateline. It seems the majority of discussion is coming from radio programming, local news stations, activist groups, and some select scientific community organizations.
Just last month, I had the privilege to catch an in depth conversation on the subject. It occurred on one of my favorites programs; Coast to Coast AM w/ George Noory, where Director of the Fluoride Action Network, Paul Connett and leading dentist in the fight against fluoride, Dr. Bill Osmunson dug into the issue for 3 hours. Here are some clips from the show.
- Pt. 1: Fluoridation Problems - 7.0 Mins
- Pt. 2: Risks and Issues - 8.5 Mins
- Pt. 3: Water and the Fluoride Gamble - 8.5 Mins
If you’re interested in the full show, e-mail me at dan@bigberkeywaterfilters.com. In the meantime, below are some high level basic facts and information on the subject of fluoridation.
What’s the Debate?
Adding fluoride to the public water systems, otherwise known as fluoridation, has occurred for more than 60 years in the United States. Given this basic historical fact, the immediate question that comes to many peoples mind when they are confronted with the debate is;
“If fluoridation is so bad for us, wouldn’t we already have figured it out? Wouldn’t there be mountains of evidence to illustrate the toxic effects?”
Opponents claim that this evidence does exist, and that much of the scientific and government community simply fail to acknowledge it. It’s curiously regarded as a combination of sticking one’s head in the sand along with a fear of taking a stand against conventional baked-in thinking. Among other statistics, defenders retort that the evidence for fluoride benefits is proven by US general population tooth decay reductions in the order of 50-60% since WWII. This statistic is one of the most controversial as these same reductions, over the same time periods, are shown in countries that have never engaged in water fluoridation.
Where Does Fluoride Come From?
Sodium fluoride, used in fluoridation, is a hazardous-waste by-product from the manufacture of aluminum. It is a common ingredient in rat and cockroach poisons, anesthetics, hypnotics, psychiatric drugs, and military nerve gas. Fluoride is more toxic than aluminum and studies have shown that fluoride consumption increases the body absorption rate of aluminum by 600%. There are, however, controls set in place to manage this risk. The EPA has maximum water fluoridation levels set at 1 ppm (part per million) and every day many of us are given the opportunity to read a warning on the back of our fluoride toothpaste:
“Keep toothpaste out of the reach of children under 6. If swallowed get medical help or contact poison control center right away.”
But, are these controls enough to protect the general population to the serious downside risks?
Harmful Effects of Fluoride
What is not up for debate is that fluoride harms bones, causes stiff joints, encourages skeletal abnormalities, raises the risk of cancer, results in genetic damage, can damage the thyroid, and hampers nervous system function in humans. Opponents of fluoridation have a real cause for concern given that fluoride acts as a cumulative poison gradually and increasingly affecting the body over long periods of exposure. As a result, potential toxicity becomes a function on how much water is consumed on a daily basis, the individual’s body weight, and the body’s ability to filter and eliminate the chemical. These are wide margin variables that may allow a relatively large percentage of the population to fall into a toxic range over time.
Recently, there has been government studies that attest to fluoridation dangers. In 2005, a CDC study showed irreversible enamel fluorosis in 1 out of 3 children. Then in 2007, the ADA warned parents not to mix baby formula with tap water in the first 12 months of development so as to avoid fluoride intake. Just recently in June of 2008, the National Kidney Foundation stated the kidney disease patients should be notified of the potential risks of exposure to fluoride. Unfortunately, many individuals with thyroid disease and other ailments have been complaining about fluoridation without an official government response.
Inherent Problems with Fluoridation
Each year our scientists are getting better at understanding the toxic implications of fluoride, and one point is glaringly obvious. With water fluoridation, you cannot control the dose ingested, both children and adults are treated with similar doses, and unless the public filters their water, they cannot opt out of this mass medication. Regardless of where one stands, it’s apparent that legitimate scientific data is challenging the entrenched “all benefits and no-risk” philosophy of water fluoridation, and all parties must openly and fairly revisit this practice.
To see if you may be drinking fluoridated water, you can start here: CDC Fluoridation Status. In the meantime, for those who are concerned, Berkey makes a highly regarded and very popular fluoride filter that works in any berkey filter system. The PF-2 Fluoride/Arsenic Filters are to be used in conjunction with the Black Berkeys. The PF-4 Fluoride Filters are to be used with the ceramic filters. More information on various system setups can be found here.
