Flouridated tap water putting Irish tea drinkers in danger

According to Dan Buckley of the Irish Examiner, a new scientific study has claimed that tea made with flouridated tap water is "hazardous to health" and that Irish people are most in danger.

Research published this month by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health has revealed excessive fluoride levels in tea in Ireland.

Ireland not only has the highest per capita consumption of black tea in the world, it is also the only European country with mandatory legislation requiring artificial fluoridation of drinking water.

The study analysed human exposure to fluoride from drinking tea by measuring the fluoride content in tea infusions from 54 black-tea products sold in Ireland.

All of the teas tested had fluoride concentrations that exceeded the maximum enforceable level in drinking water. It also exceeded the maximum permitted level that requires labelling and safety precautions for bottled water under European regulations.

Irish scientist, Declan Waugh, said, "These findings are important, because the European Food Safety Authority previously reported that drinking just two cups of tea per day, prepared with fluoridated water, in addition to other dietary sources of fluoride, can provide almost twice the recommended intake for adults."

“What we’ve shown is that the Republic of Ireland has one of the highest fluoride intakes in the world, due to our high consumption of tea, which is six times the global average.”