Fluoride in Water Poses 'Unreasonable Risk' to Children, Federal Judge Rules | 25 Sept 2024 | A federal judge ruled Tuesday that fluoride in the drinking water poses an "unreasonable risk" of reduced IQ in children. Judge Edward Chen of the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California wrote in an 80-page landmark decision that the current "optimal" levels of water fluoridation exposure may damage human health. Over 200 million Americans currently drink water treated with fluoride at the "optimal" level of 0.7 milligrams per liter (mg/L). "In all, there is substantial and scientifically credible evidence establishing that fluoride poses a risk to human health; it is associated with a reduction in the IQ of children and is hazardous at dosages that are far too close to fluoride levels in the drinking water of the United States," Chen wrote. "EPA's own expert agrees that fluoride is hazardous at some level," he added, citing a report by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and National Toxicology Program (NTP) which "concluded that fluoride is indeed associated with reduced IQ in children, at least at exposure levels at or above 1.5 mg/L."