UK - Daily Echo - Deliberate water 'contamination'

Deliberate water 'contamination'
I EXPECT many have come to the same conclusion as M Darnell (Letters, November 17) that fluoridation is a done deal between the Government and industry. One of the most frightening aspects of the whole business is the absence of any organisation within Parliament, the health service or the water industry, prepared to stand up for our right to uncontaminated water.
I asked the Drinking Water Inspectorate whether it is true that the chemicals used in fluoridation are derived from industrial waste difficult to dispose of. Initially they replied that they did not know the source, but when I expressed surprise admitted that they did know, but without giving details. They certainly did not deny the link with industrial waste and indicated that the possibility existed, even if slight, of the supplies including minute traces of other noxious chemicals, including arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium, though with the assurance that such things if present would be at far too low a concentration to be a danger. If I understood the explanation given, it seems that the Government's view is that if the public cannot readily detect the impurities then it is alright.
No doubt the human body can tolerate a variety of naturally-occurring contaminants. Their deliberate addition to our water is, however, another matter and is totally unacceptable. G PAYNE, Woolston, Southampton.

According to the Chief Medical Officer 2% of the tonnes used in fluoridation is impurities.
The UK's Water (Fluoridation) Act 1985, since incorporated into the 1991 Water Industry Act, allows hexafluorosilicic acid (H2SiF6) and disodium hexafluorosilicate (Na2SiF6) to be used to increase the fluoride content of water. The published Code of Practice on Technical Aspects of Fluoridation of Water Supplies (Department of the Environment, 1987) gives specifications for these substances and states that 'the product. ..must not contain any mineral or organic substances capable of impairing the health of those drinking water correctly treated with the product'. For H2SiF6, limits are given for a number of possible impurities, including for iron, heavy metals, sulphate, phosphate, and chloride. The specification for Na2SiF6 powder requires a minimum of 98% m/m of the pure chemical, and gives maximum limits for impurities, including heavy metals (as lead) and iron. No other substances are allowed to be used in the fluoridation process, other than an anti-caking agent (the identity of which must be disclosed) in the case of Na2SiF6. Synthetic detergents are not permitted.

Thus there is no likelihood, in normal operation, for any fluoridation plants to introduce other compounds into the drinking water supply (other than approved anti-cakinq aqents and any impurities present in the fluoridation chemicals).