Environmental Health (Fluoride in the water in Pensacola)

Environmental Health (Fluoride in the water in Pensacola)

Introduction

Pensacola has its location in the State of Florida, the United States. It serves as the Florida Panhandle’s westernmost city in Escambia County. The population figures reach approximately 51,923 (Lepo & Snyder, 2000). Pensacola acts as a seaport with a huge bay. It receives protection from Santa Rosa Island and has connections with the Gulf of Mexico. Due to its proximity to the coastal area and the presence of several industries, Pensacola possesses the worst drinking water in the United States as per reports from a national survey undertaken in 2017 (Perrella & Kiss, 2015). Many studies show that the water comprises approximately 21 chemicals that have overpassed health guidelines (Lepo & Snyder, 2000). Among the chemicals, carbon tetrachloride, lead, and radium affect the water system in the region. The Environmental Water Group (EWG) carried out 20 million tap water quality experiments and tests between 2004 and 2009 to identify the level of pollution in the water (Foote, 2011). The organization identified over 316 contaminants in the tap water received by the public.

The above situation influenced the formulation of enforceable standards for pollutants. Due to the contaminants, the county government and other public agencies treated water with fluoride. The 1930s experienced many studies undertaken by the U.S National Institutes of Health on the impact of fluoride on water. According to the organization, one fluoride milligram per water liter prevented tooth decay. However, in less than a decay, people started to report a high rate of tooth decay caused by water contaminated with fluoride (Peckham, Lowery, & Spencer, 2015). The modern State of Florida has over 72% of its population drinking fluoridated water; most of the population comes from Pensacola. Many national health organizations, comprising of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Dental Association, have reiterated that Fluoride serves as the best defense against any teeth cavities.

Thesis Statement

With the above figures and trend being in mind, the paper discusses the situation relating to the fluoride in water in the Pensacola area. Many experts have referred to the flourished water process as being highly innovative. However, other residents and agencies oppose the process of adding fluoride to the wells and other water reservoirs. They perceive the process as being harmful (Waghmare, et al., 2015). Therefore, the flourished process possesses a controversial nature in the United States

References

• Bain, R., Cronk, R., Wright, J., Yang, H., Slaymaker, T., & Bartram, J. (2014). Fecal contamination of drinking-water in low-and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS medicine, 11(5), e1001644.

• Foote, M. (2011). Examining reasons for bottled water consumption: a case study in Pensacola, Florida. South Carolina: University of South Carolina. Retrieved from http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4301&context=etd

• Lepo, J., & Snyder, R. (2000). Impact of fluoridation of the municipal drinking water supply: Review of the literature. Escambia County Utilities Authority.

• Peckham, S., Lowery, D., & Spencer, S. (2015). Are fluoride levels in drinking water associated with hypothyroidism prevalence in England? A large observational study of GP practice data and fluoride levels in drinking water. J Epidemiol Community Health, 69(7), 619-624.

• Perrella, A., & Kiss, S. (2015). Risk perception, psychological heuristics and the water fluoridation controversy. Can J Public Health, 29(106), e197-e203.

• Waghmare, S., Arfin, T., Manwar, N., Lataye, D., Labhsetwar, N., & Rayalu, S. (2015). Preparation and characterization of polyalthia longifolia based alumina as a novel adsorbent for removing fluoride from drinking water. Asian J. Adv. Basic Sci, 4(1), 12-24.