Written by: Alexandra Uta // Last Updated: Oct 13, 2022
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If you use purified water and you’re concerned about the presence of fluoride, keep reading.
This article will answer all your questions, such as: Does purified water have fluoride?
Time to find out!
Key Takeaways
Before we start, it’s essential to clarify the exact type of purified water we are discussing:
According to U.S. Pharmacopeia standards, we define purified water as water from any source that has been treated until it’s essentially free of any chemicals. This means water is purified when it does contain no more than 10 ppm (parts per million) of total dissolved solids (TDS).
Total dissolved solids refer to any salts, minerals, metals, cations, or anions in water. These include inorganic salts like sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, chlorides, sulfates, and bicarbonates, and trace amounts of organic matter.
From these definitions, we can infer that fluoride is a dissolved solid, because it is an inorganic salt. And so, if purified water can have a maximum TDS level of 10 ppm, fluoride could be part of that small amount of dissolved solids.
However, fluoride being present or not mostly depends on the source water. If the source water didn’t contain fluoride in the first place, the water won’t contain fluoride after it has been purifier either – and vice versa.
If fluoride was present, the amount remaining after the purification process would be tiny, if measurable at all. That’s because all 3 water purification methods – reverse osmosis, distillation, and deionization – target fluoride very effectively.
In summary, purified water usually doesn’t contain fluoride. But if it does, it’s only present in trace amounts.
You can’t detect fluoride in purified water by mere physical observation.
Instead, the easiest way to determine if your purified water has fluoride is by conducting a water test. If you choose to do a test, you have three options:
A lab test is a reliable way to test your water for fluoride. A lab test tells you the fluoride concentration in your water and can highlight the presence of other substances, too.
However, you shouldn’t test your water with just any lab. You must get the test done at an EPA-certified lab because these follow protocol and have high testing standards.
Using Fluoride test strips is an easy and economical way to check for fluoride in water. They also produce results instantly. Also, most test trips will come with a simple set of instructions you can follow, so you don’t have to worry about getting confused.
You can use these testing kits at home. They require you to do a bit of chemical mixing, but it’s not dangerous. All you have to do is add a specified reagent to a water sample and mix. Once the mixture is uniform, you’ll test it with a photometer.
The kit comes with instructions and a chart disc to guide you during the process and help you read the results correctly. One good thing about this option is that it produces pretty accurate results.
As previously mentioned, the EPA has defined purified water as water that comes from any source but has been treated to meet the U.S. Pharmacopeia standards. This means that purified water is water free of chemicals (or water containing not more than 10 ppm of total dissolved solids).
The EPA also specifies that purified water can be labeled according to its treatment method. So, we can say, for example, that water treated by reverse osmosis or distillation is purified water.
Another common definition of purified water is; water that has been filtered or treated to remove microorganisms.
As with everything in life, purified water has its pros and cons. Here are a few of them we thought you should know:
Drawbacks
Some bottled water brands have fluoride in them, while others do not. The presence of fluoride usually depends on
That said, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration now regulates the amount of fluoride that can be added to bottled water. It’s the same amount that’s also allowed to be added to public water supplies: 0.7 mg/l.
If you want to stay off bottled water containing fluoride, you can opt for “deionized”, “demineralized”, “purified”, or “distilled” bottled water (usually labeled on the pack). They contain little to no fluoride – unless the water was fluoridated which should also be stated somewhere on the label.
Also, if you want to determine the level of fluoride in your favorite bottled water, again, study the label or contact the manufacturer directly. Here are a few examples:
Bottled Water Brand | Fluoride Levels (ppm) |
---|---|
Absopure (Spring) | 0.20 |
Alpine Fresh | <0.05 |
Alkame Water | 0.10 |
Acqua Panna | 0.00 |
Big Spring (Drinking) | 0.60 |
Beyond 02 | <0.05 |
Callaway Blue Spring | <0.05 |
Crystal Geyser | 0.06 -0.78 |
Fluoride is usually added to drinking water to prevent tooth decay and other dental issues.
Now, fluoride is a chemical that can be dangerous in very large amounts. So, there’s a threshold for daily intake.
Most of the population already get their daily recommended amount from medicines, coffee and tea, processed foods, fluoridated toothpaste, and the like. Meaning that additional fluoride consumption in drinking water could lead to overconsumption.
In the end, the choice depends on you. If you feel like you don’t consume enough fluoride in your diet, you can decide to continue drinking fluoridated water. But if you think the fluoride you get from your toothpaste or daily cup of coffee is just enough, then you can opt for fluoride-free water.
The EPA has already set a maximum allowable level of fluoride in drinking water at 4.0 mg/L. They list the figures permissible for each age group as such:
The amount of fluoride that’s actually being added to fluoridated water is 0.7 mg/L.
Fluoride is one of the chemicals classified as a cumulative toxin. This means it can accumulate in your body over time. After high amounts have accumulated, it may then produce the following health effects:
Yes, most cities in the U.S. fluoridate their water supply. So, if you receive water from a municipal source, there may be fluoride in your tap water.
But even if your city doesn’t fluoridate the water or you’re a private well user, fluoride still naturally occurs in some water sources.
If you have any thoughts about the question, is there fluoride in purified water, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
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