Flouridated water contributes to lead poisoning

I came across an interesting study published in 2010 about the combined effects of lead and fluoride. Most water supplies in the US and a lot of our food supply is fluoridated. Dr. Sawan and his team used rats to study the effect that fluoride has on lead absorption. They divided the rats into groups and gave them different combinations of lead and fluoride and lead or fluoride alone. They found the highest levels of lead in the teeth and the bones of rats exposed to fluoride together suggesting that fluoride aids the body in absorbing lead. I also found the results from three other studies by Macek (2006) and Masters and Coplan (2000, 2007) that found higher levels of lead in silico-fluoridated communities and higher blood levels of lead in children in fluoridated communities where lead is already present in the environment. 

Another explanation for the correlation between higher levels of lead and fluoridated water supplies are the types of chemicals typically used in municipal water systems known as fluorosilicates. These fluorosilicates have a special relationship with lead. They are commonly used in industrial applications as solvents to remove surface lead from leaded-brass machine parts. So, what does that mean for all of us drinking the water? Fluorosilicates cause more lead to leach from the pipes, fixtures, and faucets and be passed on to you and your children. 


resources:
http://www.enviroblog.org/2009/07/recipe-for-a-toxic-brew-lead-pipes-fluoride-and-disinfectants.html
http://www.joaoaquila.com/2012/03/Limit-Fluoride-to-Prevent-Lead-Poisoning-study-says/
http://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/article_28eb9c0a-c250-11e0-93a4-001cc4c03286.html
http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water_health/health2/18-08-flouride-problems-lead-leaching-plumbing.htm
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Limit+Fluoride+to+Prevent+Lead+Poisoning,+Study+Says.-a0221218249
R.D. Masters and M. Coplan. “Brain Biochemistry and the Violence Epidemic: Toward a ‘Win-
Win’ Strategy for Reducing Crime” Super-Optimizing Examples: Across Public Policy
Problems, Stuart S. Nagel, ed., Nova Science Publishers, Inc, New York (1999).
R.D. Masters and M. Coplan. “Water Treatment with Silicofluorides and Lead Toxicity,”
Intern. J. Environmental Studies 56, 435-449 (1999).
http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/chem_background/exsumpdf/fluorosilicates.pdf