Fluoride is commonly found in tap water. While moderate intake is good for dental health, excessive intake can be harmful. In this article, you'll learn how to filter fluoride from water, how to test for fluoride in water, and more.
Understanding Fluoride
Fluoride refers to an organic or inorganic compound containing negatively charged fluorine. Similar to other halogens, fluorine forms a mononegative anion. Fluorine can form binary compounds with all elements except helium, neon, and argon, including hydrogen fluoride, metal fluorides, non-metal fluorides, ammonium fluoride, etc., and sometimes organic fluorides.
Fluoride ions can be found as a component of some minerals. Because fluoride ions are good for teeth, aquatic plants add fluoride ions to the water.
If the human body ingests a large amount of soluble fluoride in a short time, it may cause acute poisoning. Therefore, excessive intake will affect health. Fluoride has important applications in modern science and technology. In order to control the harm of excessive fluoride to human health, the British Public Health Agency has formulated a series of relevant standards, such as atmospheric fluoride in residential areas and fluoride concentration in drinking water.
What are the Side Effects of Fluoride in Drinking Water?
If drinking water contains an appropriate amount of fluoride, it may be beneficial to the human body and teeth. However, if the fluoride content in drinking water is too high or seriously exceeds the environmental safety quality standard, it will bring some side effects. The following are some side effects of excessive fluoride content in drinking water:
Dental Health Problems
Long-term drinking of water containing too much fluoride may cause harm to teeth. Fluoride can combine with calcium ions on the surface of teeth to form calcium fluoride, which increases the acid resistance of teeth. However, too high a concentration of fluoride can cause yellowing, spots, and caries of teeth, and even lead to fluorosis.
Bone Health Issues
Long-term excessive intake of fluoride may have a negative impact on bone health. Excessive concentrations of fluoride can interfere with the metabolism of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus in the body, leading to bone abnormalities. This may lead to poor bone mineralization, brittle bones, and even bone diseases such as osteoporosis.
Child Development Problems
Children are more sensitive to fluoride, and excessive fluoride intake may affect their normal development. Children drinking water with excessive fluoride may cause fluorosis and may also have adverse effects on the development of the nervous system and cognitive ability.
Ecosystem Impact
Excessive fluoride may also cause harm to aquatic organisms and ecosystems. Excessive concentrations of fluoride will affect the breathing, growth, and reproduction ability of aquatic organisms, and destroy the ecological balance and species diversity of aquatic organisms.
How to Check Fluoride in Water at Home?
Here are some ways to help you check the fluoride content in your drinking water at home.
Using a Home Test Kit
One of the simplest and most convenient methods is to use a home test kit. It consists of a test reagent or test strips that can directly measure the fluoride concentration in the water. Therefore, you only need to follow the instructions, put the reagent in the water sample, and then observe the color change.
- The test results are usually displayed in milligrams per liter (mg/L).
- The best fluoride concentration in drinking water is usually between 0.7 and 1.2 mg/L.
Using a Reverse Osmosis Water Filter
Although reverse osmosis filters cannot directly detect the fluoride content in the water, they can effectively remove fluoride from the water. This method is mainly for people who do not know how to test but are worried about the high fluoride content in the water. At the same time, if you use a reverse osmosis water filter, you can also filter out other harmful impurities in the water.
If you install a reverse osmosis water filtration system in your home, the cost will be very high. We recommend that you use a portable reverse osmosis water filtration system, such as the ITEHIL reverse osmosis water filter, which can filter 99.99% of pollutants in water using reverse osmosis technology. It can provide you with pure drinking water anytime and anywhere, which is very convenient. And the ITEHIL reverse osmosis water filter is not expensive. If you want to know more information, please visit the ITEHIL UK official website.
Send Water Samples to the Laboratory
Although home testing kits are simple and convenient, their results are not accurate. Therefore, you can send a water sample to a local certified laboratory for testing. Laboratories usually use advanced technologies such as ion chromatography to provide accurate fluoride content analysis.
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that fluoride concentrations not exceed 4 mg/L.
- The lab report may also include other water quality information, such as heavy metal or mineral content.
Check Local Water Quality Reports
Most cities or regions in the UK publish regular water quality reports. These reports will usually publicly show the fluoride content in your tap water. If you live in an urban area, this is a free way to check. You can find these reports through your local water company or the government website. In addition, the water quality report will list the annual average and the detection range, which is easy to compare.
The above are several ways to test the fluoride content in water at home. In addition, when you don't know whether the water contains fluoride or other impurities, and you don't know how to use the test method, then a reverse osmosis water filter is your ideal choice because a reverse osmosis water filter can effectively remove all contaminants in the water. In addition, no matter which test method you choose, knowing the fluoride content in the water is an important step to protect the health of your family.
Is There Fluoride in My Tap Water in the UK?
In the UK, whether to add fluoride to tap water is a decision made by local councils, rather than a national mandatory measure. Currently, fluoride is added to tap water in some parts of England, but not every area has taken this measure. According to data from Public Health England (PHE), about 10% of the population has added fluoride to their tap water.
Which Areas of the UK Have Fluoride in Their Water?
Not all regions agree to add fluoride to tap water. In Scotland and Wales, fluoride is not generally added. Northern Ireland's tap water is also not fluoridated. Most tap water in London, England, does not contain artificially added fluoride.
How to Reduce Fluoride in Tap Water?
Although there is a moderate amount of fluoride in drinking water, it can help you prevent tooth decay. However, some people are cautious about ingesting fluoride, worrying that long-term exposure may pose potential health risks. Therefore, many people are looking for ways to filter fluoride from water to ensure that your drinking water is purer and safer. Here are some common methods for removing fluoride:
Reverse Osmosis Technology
At present, reverse osmosis technology is considered to be one of the most effective ways to remove fluoride. It uses a semi-permeable membrane to separate fluoride and other dissolved solids in water. If you use an ITEHIL reverse osmosis water filtration system, it can remove more than 95% of fluoride in water. Therefore, the ITEHIL portable reverse osmosis water filtration system is an ideal choice for outdoor camping, adventure, and home use.
Related: What is a Reverse Osmosis System?
Distillation
Distillation is a traditional and reliable method for removing fluoride. Distillation mainly boils water and condenses water vapor, which can remove most impurities including fluoride. This method is suitable for use in resource-limited environments, but it is time-consuming and energy-intensive. Distillation is generally suitable for laboratory use.
Activated Aluminum Adsorption Method
Activated aluminum is a material specifically designed to adsorb fluoride in water. Studies have shown that this method is particularly effective for low concentrations of fluoride and is often used in certain types of water treatment equipment. However, this technology may require regular replacement of the filter media to maintain its effectiveness.
Is There a Filter That Removes Fluoride?
Definitely. At present, a reverse osmosis water filter is one of the most effective ways to remove fluoride from water. There are many types of reverse osmosis water filters on the market, and the ITEHIL reverse osmosis water filtration system stands out with its high-efficiency filtration and portable design, making it an ideal choice for outdoor camping and home use in the UK.
ITEHIL reverse osmosis water filtration system uses PP cotton, activated carbon, and reverse osmosis membrane for multiple filtration, which can remove bacteria, viruses, parasites, heavy metals, fluoride, chlorine, PVC, PFAS, etc. It is also equipped with an electric self-priming pump, and the filtration effect is very efficient.
FAQ
Is UK Water High in Fluoride?
Most parts of the UK have low levels of fluoride in tap water, but in some areas, fluoride is artificially added. The exact amount varies from area to area, so it is important to know the local water supply.
Does Boiling Water Get Rid of Fluoride?
Boiling water does not remove fluoride. The reason is that fluoride does not break down as water evaporates. To effectively reduce fluoride in drinking water, you can choose to use a solution such as a reverse osmosis water purifier.
Does Bottled Water Have Fluoride?
Whether bottled water contains fluoride depends on its source and treatment process. Some natural mineral waters may contain natural fluoride, while processed drinking water may have fluoride added due to health standards.
Do Water Softeners Remove Fluoride?
A water softener cannot remove fluoride. The main function of a water softener is to reduce the mineral hardness in water, and it cannot remove fluoride. If you want to remove fluoride from water, it is recommended to choose a reverse osmosis water purifier.
