Chemicals that contain fluorine have perpetually been in the news for two primary reasons. One is the controversy surrounding the fluoridation of drinking water. The other is the latest chemical scare over fluorinated "forever" chemicals. Fluorine, fluoride, fluorinated. Confusing? You bet. Maybe this will help.
In 2024 alone, there have been at least dozens – probably hundreds – of news reports on fluoridation, most of which focused on the potential harm of fluoride to developing babies and a possible link to cognitive and behavioral disorders. Several cities, counties, and states have voted or plan to vote to ban drinking water fluoridation (not fluorination). Often left unstated is the fact that fluoride occurs naturally in groundwater worldwide. A 2017 report by the World Health Organization estimates that 200 million people worldwide are exposed to naturally occurring fluoride levels (from minerals, more on this below) that exceed 1.5 mg/liter, which is considered to be the maximum safe dose, although this number can vary depending on different standards in different countries. Add fluorinated "forever chemicals," which are a very hot topic—something I wrote about recently (See Why 'Forever Chemicals' are Forever)—and it is not at all surprising that there is massive confusion about the names of these chemicals and their meaning. Hopefully, this article will clear up some of this confusion. Speaking of which, here's a ghastly example of confusion that was published on the Phoenix News12 site. It starts out OK: Though adding fluoride to drinking water is recommended by nearly all public health, medical, and dental organizations — it still doesn't sit well with some people. But then, this... Studies have shown that fluorinated water can reduce cavities in children and…