Yet, regardless of how people in various cultures would consider the importance of water, deep down, we know that we can’t live without it. We can always find water in the environment we are living in and put it into the very medium of our own body.
With 70% of the planet’s surface covered by water and 75% of the human body consisting of it, water is one of the primary elements responsible for life on Earth. Water moves through the land as it does through the human body; it transports, dissolves, replenishes nutrients and other organic matter and carries away waste material.
The average adult's body contains 11 gallons of water. If it loses more than 3/4 gallon, that person could suffer headaches, weakness, dizziness, nervousness, fatigue, irritability, dehydration, and even a certain level of pathology.
On the other hand, we can’t just continue drinking random water to replenish our loss. We still have to consider the cleanliness and safety of the water before drinking it. Suppose a person happens to consume contaminated water.
Depending on how much he or she has drunk, he or she might experience gastrointestinal problems, diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, dehydration, and even death.
Thus, governments, especially the United States, have regulated laws to ensure drinking water safety. These laws ensure that the sanitation of the water flowing through the pipes is checked according to the set standards and criteria.
Moreover, companies that produce clean drinking bottled water have also become a trend and have increased over time to give people easier access to it.
Tap Water VS Bottled Water
Tap and bottled water are two of the most common sources of clean drinking water today. Although many countries—such as Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Colombia, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, and Denmark—have implemented tap water as a source of citizen drinking water, there are still several places where people don’t have reliable, clean tap water.
According to the study, 783 million people buy bottled water because it is more dependable than the water from their faucets.
Tap water is from our taps, which the local water provider distributes through indoor plumbing. Developed countries commonly use tap water, which is usually safe to drink, but it is not uncommon to experience water quality problems.
Because of improper plumbing and lack of maintenance, tap water can be contaminated, which can cause serious medical problems, especially for people who might have consumed it.
Thankfully, local governments have implemented laws and criteria for protecting the water and their citizens and have regularized check-ups and maintenance.
On the other hand, bottled water is drinking water packaged in bottles—they could be glass or plastic. Some bottled waters are sold as carbonated and categorized as distilled, mineral, or spring. This has become a trend because it is easier to access and sometimes convenient, especially for those who like to travel.
Of course, although they may seem perfect, this bottled water does have its downside. Since these products are being imported to different parts of the world, they could also be unsafe due to improper packaging, storage temperature, and expiration period.
Moreover, since most companies sell these products in plastic bottles—cheaper and more flexible than glass bottles—the garbage produced annually has increased. This causes water and land pollution because plastics and glass tend to have slow decomposition rates.
Thus, other living organisms invade space.
Fluoride in Waters
Fluoride is a chemical usually added by local water providers to the municipal water supply to reduce the number of people having tooth decay. Commonly found in food, water, and soil, this chemical is one of the most abundant elements on the planet and is one of the main media for making mouthwash, toothpaste, and other products.
Since tooth decay is very common in children, local governments have added fluoride to the water. Studies have shown that increasing the fluoride level to certain amounts—0.7 to 1.2 milligrams—could prevent dental problems. The said material protects the teeth by remineralizing and demineralizing them. This then saves the budget for the local community’s health allowance and benefits those who need it.
Furthermore, fluoride wasn’t just added to tap and bottled water. The Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition just recently announced that companies who manufacture bottled water can now add a certain amount of fluoride in their mixture and print it on their labels - since many studies have positively shown the benefits of fluoride.
The famous company Colgate has agreed and supported this claim because it promotes better oral health and intends to make people understand its importance.
However, having too much fluoride could also cause some hazards to people. Experts have found out that consuming fluoride for a long time then links to certain health issues. They have proved that the said chemical affects the durability of the person’s bones, specifically his or her teeth.
Examples of possible health cases are dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, thyroid problems, and neurological problems.
Dental Fluorosis
Dental fluorosis is caused by too much exposure to fluoride. Cases like this were seen in people who have been consuming fluoride since childhood when their teeth were just developing. A symptom of this is having tiny white specks or streaks in the tooth's enamel.
Although this doesn’t affect the health of the teeth, it can cause some discoloration. Because of this, doctors have recommended that parents not let their children consume too much fluoride water, not let them use mouthwash, and supervise them when brushing their teeth.
For infants, it is advised to let their mothers breastfeed them because this doesn’t just make the babies strong but also protects them from fluorosis.
Skeletal fluorosis
Another condition caused by excessive exposure to fluoride is skeletal fluorosis. Similar to what happens to teeth, fluoride can cause breakage and damage to bones and joints.
Over time, the bones can harden and become less elastic, increasing the probability of fractures.
Moreover, if bone tissue accumulates and the bones thicken, the person may not be able to move easily because of impaired joints.
Thyroid problems
In some cases, excess fluoride can cause thyroid problems. Specifically, it can damage the parathyroid gland. If not immediately treated, this could result in hyperparathyroidism—uncontrolled secretion of the parathyroid hormones—and depletion of the calcium in the bone structures, causing higher blood concentrations.
Furthermore, a low calcium level in a person’s bones could make him or her more vulnerable to fractures.
Neurological problems
Some studies are proving that people who have consumed fluoride before birth could be at great risk of having poorer cognitive outcomes.
Experts have long studied pregnant women and the amount of fluoride they consume. After 6 to 12 years, they discovered that the children of these women tend to have lower scores on IQ tests. This led the experts to theorize that fluoride could indeed be hazardous to children’s development.
According to studies by the International Association of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT), which prohibits using or adding fluoride to water or other products, fluoride could contribute to many health problems.
Such examples of their findings to people are skin problems, cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure, cardiac insufficiency, myocardial damage, heart failure, reproductive issues, thyroid dysfunction, osteoarthritis, temporomandibular joint disorder, bone cancer, and ADHD.
Recommended Solutions to Fluoride
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed revising the quality standards for bottled and tap water due to complaints about the negative effects of fluoride consumption.
They have announced that local water suppliers and bottled water manufacturers should limit their fluoride levels to 0.7 milligrams per liter.
Based on the FDA experts' experiment, tooth decay would be prevented, and the risk of dental fluorosis would be lower if the fluoride concentration in the water only ranged from these levels.
According to the updates announced by the United States Public Health Service (PHS), new standards and criteria are being recommended, and confusion regarding the inconsistent fluoride levels in bottled waters has been corrected.
Although many manufacturers are now implementing this regulation, many still argue regarding the allowable levels because even with this low numerical value, the risk of having a health problem is still probable.
Some scientists have contradicted the FDA and stated that although the proposed concentration of fluoride in the water is low, in the long term, this toxicity from the said chemical would still accumulate in a person’s body, causing the same health problems.
They have been imposing a decrease in the amount of fluoride concentrated in the water—lower than the recommended 0.7 milligrams per liter—because the risk of a certain person experiencing fluoride poisoning is still high.
Fluoride poisoning isn’t just caused by unexpected consumption of a huge amount of fluoride but is also caused even by an acute amount of it.
Symptoms of this said case are seizures and muscle spasms, nausea and vomiting, excessive saliva, and abdominal pain. If this poisoning isn’t treated immediately, it would then develop into some major health problems and would even cause death.
These “anti” experts have said that each person has a different level of fluoride tolerance and that the levels being blended in the water should consider those with a lower tolerance than the average level.
If these persons consumed water with 0.7 milligrams per liter of fluoride, they would still be more likely to have oral health issues and other medical problems. Although the number of casualties with dental problems has lowered, a small percentage remains.
Thus, these “anti” persons proposed to the FDA that fluoride be lowered to fill that percentage.
Although there are no updates regarding this debate, this major decision still depends on the people and how clean their water must be. Citizens are now advised to check every label of their bottled waters and ask for reports regarding the updates in their tap waters.
If, for some instances, a person in the family happens to experience some of the said symptoms – may it be acute or not - it is recommended to go check on a physician or a doctor so that major complications can be avoided.
Also, do not hesitate to seek expert advice, especially if you have doubts about your health or water supply. Finding the perfect water for your family would be better, as each member has health issues to consider.
Since water is necessary in our lives, it is better to ensure it is safe and clean before consumption.
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