The purpose of the research project is to determine the fluoride content  from private wells and report the results to appropriate health agencies.  The EPA Drinking Water Guidelines allow a maximum contamination level of fluoride from 2.0-4.0 mg/L.  Although fluoride is helpful in avoiding cavities, too much causes fluorosis, a disease which affects exclusively the teeth and bones.

Fluoridated Water

For a long time it was believed that fluoridated water was beneficial for the teeth, causing no side effects.  In fact, research on fluoridated water has shown that there are many health effects from fluoride exposure.
There are a collection of research reports indicating  that fluoride can increase the rate of hip fracture, lower a child's IQ, increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, and initiate and accelerate the development of cancer.  Fluoride is the only thing that is known to cause bone cancer (osteosarcoma ). It  increases the stability of the crystal lattice in the bone, making the bone more brittle.  The total quantity of fluoride taken in is the most important factor in determining the clinical course of  skeletal fluorosis. The severity of the symptoms correlates directly with the level and the duration of exposure. Also, because of its chemical properties, fluoridated water can also increase a child's exposure to lead.  The corrosive action of fluoride extracts lead from pipes and solder joints increasing the exposure.   Studies have shown that continuosly ingesting water containing as much as 1 mg/L (part per million) of fluoride, very mild forms of dental fluorosis may develop in 10 per cent of the group.

Testing Fluoride in Groundwater

Water samples were gathered from sites throughout Currituck and Camden County.   Once the water was gathered it was kept in a cooler and taken back to the Geo Science Environmental Research Lab for testing.  A spectophotometer was used in the testing of fluoride using the HACH PROGRAM.  The samples are poured into a 50mL beaker along with (the blank) deionized water for testing.  Fluoride Reagent Accu Vac Ampuls were then used by breaking the tip of the ampul in the beaker, mixing the ampuls contents with the water being tested.  The sample, now contained in the ampul, is placed in the spectophotometer which will read the amount of fluoride in the solution.  There is really no holding time for fluoride to be tested, but it is best to do so as soon as possible since fluoride is so reactive.

Fluoride Levels in Currituck and Camden County

According to the EPA's Drinking Water Guidelines, which allows for a maximum contamination level of 2.0-4.0 mg/L (parts per million), Currituck and Camden County fall well below the given guidelines.  Test sites ranged from the north ends of the counties to the south ends.  They also varied from being taken near water bodies to being taken inland.  Both counties have an average range of variation in test results.  However, the highest levels of fluoride were found in Camden County.  The levels of fluoride at the two test sites were 1.34 and 1.16.  The samples were taken from opposite ends of Run Swamp Rd.   The similarity in the test results may be due to the location of that area.  In an article from the National Research Council states that although calcium fluoride occurs naturally in some water supplies, fluorides added to public drinking water come from air pollution devices in the aluminum and fertilizer industries, and are entirely different in terms of toxicity.

It is being dumped into the air and water in ever-increasing quantities, and is one of the most toxic of the major pollutants.  Perhaps the levels were higher in the area due to a particular fertilizer used by a near by field.  In any case the levels were particularly higher in that specific area of Camden county, however the levels were below the EPA's Guidelines and posed no health threat.  The highest levels of fluoride tested in Currituck county were averaged at .95mg/L.  The test sites with this average were throughout the county in 3 locations, the north, middle, and south ends of Currituck.   All test sites taken in both counties resulted in low levels of water fluoridation of groundwater.
 
 

                                                                                                     ASH
OSTEOSCLEROTIC PHASE                                          CONCENTRATION (mg F/kg) 

Normal Bone                                                                                500-1000

Preclinical Phase                                                                        3500-5500
asymptomatic;
slight radiographically-detectable
increases in bone mass

Clinical Phase I                                                                           6000-7000
sporadic pain; stiffness of joints;
osteosclerosis of pelvis &
vertebral column

Clinical Phase II                                                                           7500-9000
chronic joint pain; arthritic symptoms;
slight calcification of ligaments;
increased osteosclerosis/cancellous bones;
with/without osteoporosis of long bones

Phase  III:  Crippling Fluorosis
limitation of joint movement;
calcification of ligaments/neck, vert. column;
crippling deformities/spine & major joints;
muscle wasting;
neurological defects/compression of spinal cord