Researcher “Embarrassed” by Fluoride Cancer Claim
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently rejected a petition against fluoride by researcher William Hirzy. The petition had claimed an increased risk of cancer from a type of fluoride used to supplement water that has too little of the naturally-occurring mineral. Hirzy, who recently left his position at American University, told LiveScience.com that he was “embarrassed” by the errors in his petition.
Notably, a 1991 report by a committee of the U.S. Public Health Service found no evidence to link fluoride to cancer or a variety of other health conditions. In 2004, a broad review of fluoride studies concluded, “In general, there is no credible evidence indicating a cause-and-effect relationship between water fluoridation and increased health risks.” And in 2011, after lengthy review, a committee of California’s Office of Environment Health Hazard Assessment voted unanimously that the evidence did not support classifying fluoride as a cancer-causing substance.
Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally at different levels throughout the world’s lakes, rivers, and other water sources. Community water systems often adjust the amount to make sure it’s at the ideal level to protect people’s teeth.
