Does Purified Water Have Fluoride? Find Out Here!

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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

  • Usually, purified water does not have fluoride or only miniscule amounts.
  • This also applies to purified bottled water, unless fluoride was intentionally added after the purification process.

Does Purified Water Have Fluoride?

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.

water on white background

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.

How Can I Find Out the Level of Fluoride in Purified Water?

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:

  1. Contact a professional lab

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.

  1. Fluoride test strips

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.

  1. Reactive testing kits

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.

What Is Purified Water?

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.

Health Benefits and Drawbacks of Purified Water

As with everything in life, purified water has its pros and cons. Here are a few of them we thought you should know:

Benefits

  • Drinking purified water is linked to improving hair and scalp health. This is because unpurified water often contains chemicals that negatively impact hair growth, like chlorine. Purified water also helps improve blood circulation to hair follicles, leading to better absorption of nutrients and repair of damaged hair or scalp.
  • Drinking purified water leads to improved skin health.
  • Purified water is said to improve joint and muscle health by keeping the body hydrated and free from harmful contaminants.
  • Drinking and using purified water reduces your risk of waterborne and water-related diseases.
  • Some sources claim that purified water helps speed up weight loss.
  • Purified water detoxifies the body and aids digestion.

Drawbacks

  • Water purification systems need to be maintained regularly. If they aren’t maintained properly, contaminants can build up.
  • Purified water is expensive. Much money is usually spent on purchasing, installing, and maintaining water purification systems or purified water directly from the store.
  • Purified water lacking in minerals may leech them from your body, resulting in a loss of electrolytes.

Does Bottled Water Contain Fluoride?

Some bottled water brands have fluoride in them, while others do not. The presence of fluoride usually depends on

  • the source of the water used for bottling. If the original source had fluoride, the bottled water could have fluoride as well.
  • And it depends on whether the water was intentionally fluoridated after purification or not.

bottled water

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:

Fluoride Levels in Bottled Water

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

Should You Only Drink Fluoride-Free Water?

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.

How Much Fluoride Is Safe?

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:

  • 01 mg/L for babies of 0-6 months
  • 5-0.7 mg/L for toddlers
  • 1-2 mg/L for older children
  • 3-4 mg/L for adults

The amount of fluoride that’s actually being added to fluoridated water is 0.7 mg/L.

Fluoride’s Health Effects

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:

  • Skeletal fluorosis – Excessive fluoride consumption can eventually lead to skeletal fluorosis, which causes pain and damage to bones and joints. The bones become weaker, stiffer, and quickly get fractured.
  • Dental fluorosis – This condition results in discoloration of the teeth and, in severe cases, disfigured teeth enamel.
  • Hypothyroidism – Overexposure to fluoride can affect the functioning of the thyroid gland. It may reduce its ability to pump essential thyroid hormones in the blood, leading to weight loss, fatigue, constipation, and hair loss.
  • Neurological effects – Fluoride has been classified as a neurotoxin, along with lead and arsenic. Meaning it’s one of the chemicals that can cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain causing learning disabilities, low I.Q., cognitive deficit, and ADHD in children. It could also cause sleeping disorders if absorbed into the pineal gland.
  • Acne and other skin problems
  • Excessive overconsumption of fluoride can cause cardiovascular problems like arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, myocardial damage, heart failure, and cardiac insufficiency.
  • Reproductive issues like early puberty and low fertility
  • Osteoarthritis, bone cancer, and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
  • Acute fluoride poisoning – Acute fluoride poisoning may result in abdominal pain, excessive saliva, seizures, vomiting, and nausea.

Is There Fluoride in Tap Water?

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!

About the Author Alexandra Uta

Alex is a content writer with an affinity for research and a methodical attention to detail. Since 2020, she has fully immersed herself into the home water treatment industry only to become an expert herself. Alex has been using water filters and similar products for years which has gained her lots of hands-on experience.
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