Can Water Filters Remove Fluoride from Water?

Fluoride is a naturally occurring element found in many foods and beverages. It helps prevent tooth decay and strengthens bones. However, excessive amounts of fluoride can cause health problems such as bone fractures, thyroid disorders, and even cancer.

Water filters are great for removing bacteria and viruses from water, but do they really work well at removing fluoride? In this article, we will find out whether or not water filters can effectively remove fluoride from water.

What is Fluoride?

Fluoride is a naturally occurring element that occurs in many different forms, such as sodium fluoride, calcium fluoride, strontium fluoride, barium fluoride, and others. It’s added to drinking water to prevent tooth decay.

However, too much fluoride can cause problems like fluorosis, which causes teeth to turn yellow and brown. Some studies suggest that children may experience learning disabilities due to excessive exposure to fluoride.

While fluoride is beneficial for dental health, it’s still unclear exactly how much is safe. There is currently no recommended level of fluoride intake.

Is Fluoridated Water Harmful to Your Health?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drinking water containing 1 part per million (ppm) of fluoride is safe. However, according to the National Institutes of Health, children under 6 months should only drink bottled water due to concerns about exposure to lead.

Children ages 6 months to 3 years should only drink filtered tap water. Older children and adults should limit consumption of tap water to 2 ppm. Drinking water with 5 ppm or more of fluoride is unsafe.

The CDC recommends that pregnant women and nursing mothers avoid drinking water with 5 ppm or greater fluoride. People who live near areas with high levels of fluoride may experience symptoms like nausea, vomiting, headaches, muscle weakness, and fatigue.

These symptoms are temporary and go away once the body gets rid of excess fluoride. However, excessive amounts of fluoride can damage teeth permanently.

The Side Effects of Fluoride in Water

Fluoride is added to drinking water around the world to prevent tooth decay. However, many experts believe that too much fluoride may cause serious problems like bone cancer, thyroid disease, and brain damage.

Some studies suggest that children exposed to high levels of fluoride in drinking water are more likely to suffer from ADHD, learning disabilities, and autism.

Other studies indicate that fluoride exposure during pregnancy may lead to lower IQs in babies. While these findings aren’t conclusive, they should give parents pause before allowing their kids to drink fluoridated water.

Can Water Filters Remove Fluoride from Water?

Water filters can remove fluoride from drinking water. However, the amount of fluoride removed depends on the type of filter you use. Reverse osmosis systems are best suited for removing fluoride from water, but they require a lot of energy to operate.

Other types of filters may only remove small amounts of fluoride. Some filters may not remove any fluoride at all. To ensure that you’re getting rid of fluoride, you should test your water regularly. If you notice that the fluoride level is high, you should consider buying a water filter.

How to Remove Fluoride from Water

There are ways to reduce the amount of fluoride in water, but removing it completely may require professional assistance. Here are some tips to keep in mind when trying to remove fluoride from your water.

Distillation

The process of distilling involves heating a liquid until it evaporates, leaving behind only the purest form of the original substance. Water is distilled by boiling it in a pot, condensing the steam, and collecting the condensed water. The same principle applies to removing fluoride from drinking water.

Fluoride is added to public water supplies to prevent tooth decay, but too much of it can cause health problems. A chemical called hydrofluorosilicic acid removes fluoride from water, turning it into harmless silica. Hydrofluorosilicic acid is made by mixing sulfuric acid with sodium fluosilicate, a compound commonly known as fluoride.

Flouride is naturally occurring in rocks like granite, and it dissolves easily in water. Sodium fluosilicate is added to water to trap the fluoride, and the mixture is heated until the fluoride is removed. Once the fluoride is gone, the solution is cooled down and filtered to collect the purified water.

Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis systems are great ways to filter out harmful chemicals like lead, mercury, arsenic, and fluoride from drinking water. These contaminants are dangerous to human health, especially children’s health, and can cause serious illnesses such as brain damage, cancer, and birth defects.

A typical home system costs around $1,000-$2,500, depending on size and complexity. However, these systems can pay for themselves within two to four months, depending on usage. Depending on the amount of water you consume, you could see anywhere from $10-$100 saved per month.

Activated Alumina

Activated alumina is a chemical compound that can be used to filter out harmful chemicals like lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and fluoride from drinking water. Activated alumina costs around $1.50 per pound, and it takes approximately 1,000 pounds of activated alumina to produce 1 gallon of filtered water.

So, if you live in a city that uses fluoridated water, you could potentially save thousands of dollars annually by switching to filtered water. However, the amount of money you save depends on how many gallons of unfiltered water you drink.

Bone Char Carbon

Bone char carbon is a natural product made from wood ash. It removes fluoride from drinking water. It works by absorbing fluoride ions from the water and releasing them later when heated.

The process is simple. First, bone char is added to the water supply. Then, the water is boiled until the fluoride is released. Finally, the water is cooled down and filtered.

FAQs

Why is Fluoride Bad for Us?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exposure to high levels of fluoride can cause skeletal fluorosis, which causes bones to harden and deform. Other symptoms include joint pain, muscle weakness, and bone spurs.

What are the Common Symptoms of Fluoride Poisoning?

The most common symptom of fluoride poisoning is skeletal fluorosis, which causes bones to harden and deform. Other forms include dental fluorosis, which causes teeth to turn yellowish brown, and neurological damage, which may cause headaches, fatigue, muscle weakness, and memory loss.

Some people experience only mild symptoms, like tooth sensitivity, while others suffer severe health problems.

Which One is Better for Removing Fluoride from Water?

The best option for removing fluoride from drinking water is reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis filters remove contaminants by forcing water through a membrane filter.

Conclusion

Water filters can help reduce the amount of fluoride in your drinking water. However, it’s important to note that these filters aren’t designed to completely eliminate fluoride from your water.

They’re meant to filter out small amounts of fluoride, which means that you won’t notice any difference in taste or smell.