West Midlands Against Fluoridation

West Midlands Against Fluoridation Fluoride Analysis and Database Service (WMAF FADS) WMAF is a not-for-profit organisation. WMAF FADS undertakes to measure the concentration of fluoride in samples (water or other liquids) as accurately as possible. Although no other contaminants can be analysed by this service, the total dissolved solids (tds) in tap and bottled water can also be recorded. The equipment is regularly calibrated to ensure accuracy. As an additional safeguard, random samples are selected for testing by a colleague in another laboratory using different equipment. FADS is not an accredited laboratory. Therefore WMAF FADS accepts no responsibility for the absolute accuracy of fluoride readings. This is because the equipment analyses fluoride to the nearest 0.1ppm only, with the range of the equipment being 0.1ppm 9.99ppm. The analysis will be accurate enough for the customer to justify a complaint or enquiry to a manufacturer, water company or Trading Standards, all of whom will be able to re-test the sample using their own accredited laboratories. Natural Mineral Water (NMW), restaurant water and tap water NMW Where an NMW is known to contain natural fluoride in excess of 0.1mg and some do an analysis of the fluoride in the water can be carried out by FADS. Where the concentration < 0.1mg Fluoride appears on the NMW label, FADS can test the sample to record whether there is more fluoride in the NMW than is declared but cannot record any concentrations of less than 0.1ppm. The customer must retain the bottle and the water so that Trading Standards or the manufacturer can be sent the retained sample if the concentration of fluoride in the product is analysed as being higher than that declared on the label. Inaccurate labelling is highly likely. Restaurant water Where restaurant NMW is suspected as being fluoridated tap water, the customer must remove the bottle and the water contained in it which was purchased as being NMW from the restaurant It s vital that FADS is given all the details found on the label since some bottled waters contain natural fluoride. If the restaurant is not in a fluoridated area, FADS can analyse the total dissolved solids of the NMW but would need a second sample of the restaurant s tap water for comparison 1

purposes. This would mean taking an empty pill bottle to the restaurant and filling it with tap water from the restaurant s toilets. Tap water On its website, Severn Trent provides a comprehensive report which lists the minimum, average and maximum values of fluoride. The average appears on their Water Quality Page for your post code whereas the minimum, average and maximum values appear in a document linked to the same Water Quality Page. South Staffordshire Water s website provides a similar service but it s not individualised according to post codes. You need to look for Water Quality Zone Reports and identify your water Zone from a list. The following can be tested: Tap water collect a sample after the cold water tap has run for 15 seconds; Bottled water (Natural Mineral Water - NMW) Bottled water (Table Water and Spring Water) Water sold to diners by restaurants situated in a fluoridated area, described as being NMW but which the customer suspects is tap water. Suspicions will be aroused if the waiter opens the bottle as he/she walks towards the table. It s vital that the customer takes the bottle home and retains both the bottle and water purchased from the restauranteur after drawing off 200ml of the water for sending to FADS; Water sold to diners by restaurants situated in a non-fluoridated area, described as being NMW but which the customer suspects is tap water. The water in the bottle and a further sample from the cold water tap in the restaurant s toilets will be measured for total dissolved solids. Reverse Osmosis filtration unit water in order to check the efficiency of filters, membrane and the filtration unit itself. Customers need to state the age (in months) of the filters and membranes; Product water from any filtration systems which purport to remove fluoride; Aquarium water; Swimming baths water; River or lake water at the Sewage Treatment Works outfall; Beer; Cider; Wine; Liquid tea such as black tea in cartons or tins which the customer uses for iced tea; Tea leaves, tea bags and other dried herbs. 2

This list is not exclusive. If in doubt ask: wmaf@live.co.uk Substances which cannot be analysed Water filtered in a jug filter since these filters do not remove fluoride and have never claimed that they do; Blood; Urine (but hope to extend the service to include urine at a future date); Breast milk (the fluoride gauge is not accurate enough to measure the minute concentration found in human breast milk); Milk mainly because it will deteriorate in the post. However, an unopened carton of fluoridated school milk from Sheffield or Sedgefield is highly acceptable; Chemicals, alkaline or acidic substances; Medicines and pills. If in doubt, you only have to ask: wmaf@live.co.uk Method Liquids - other than NMW and restaurant NMW suspected as being tap water Customers should use 2 in no. 20ml plastic or glass containers for each liquid/solid being tested. Small pill bottles are acceptable. The glass or plastic containers should either be new or sterilised using distilled water and thoroughly drained before the samples are added. Samples of liquids should preferably be poured directly from the source into the sterilised sample bottle. The containers must be securely stoppered, sealed with sticky tape and labelled. The customer retains one sample in a safe place. The sample being sent to WMAF FADS should be double sealed, protected with bubble wrap and sealed in a jiffy bag, together with the information requested in Appendix 1, and a cheque for 6 for each sample. Please make the cheques payable to West Midlands Against Fluoridation. NMW and water sold as NMW but suspected as being tap water should be kept by the customer in its original container. Email wmaf@live.co.uk for the postal address of WMAF FADS. Send the jiffy bag to WMAF FADS. Samples will be retained by WMAF FADS for one year. 3

Solids Tea leaves of all sorts. (See Appendix 2.) Wrap a teaspoon-full of unused tea leaves in a labelled plastic bag or send an unused tea bag wrapped in a labelled plastic bag. Add a sterilised labelled and securely sealed container containing 50ml of the tap water normally used to make the tea. Customer to keep a duplicate sample of tea leaves/tea bag and water. Any other dried herbs, etc. which are reconstituted in water provided that the resultant solution is of the same consistency as tea. It will not be possible to test thick liquids such as soup. Results The fluoride testing service results will be posted or emailed to the customer and added to a database to be found on http://www.wmaf.org.uk. Information which would identify the customer will not be included in the database. Results will be expressed as ppm. The conversion to mg F/litre is straightforward: e.g. 1.2ppm = 1.2mgF/litre of water/wine/beer, etc. The tds of water samples will also be provided. Where the sample is tap water, the first part of the customer s postal code will be added to the database. No information will be added to the database which would identify restaurant owners who fraudulently provide tap water in NMW bottles. NMW fluoride content will be tested by WMAF FADS progressively during the early part of 2010 and customers should refer to the database in the first instance to check the results. This could save them the trouble of having their favourite bottled water tested. The same information will gradually be provided for tea, wines and beers but more slowly! The analysis is preliminary and is solely for satisfying the customer s curiosity or to confirm or refute a customer s suspicions. If the customer then wishes to complain to Trading Standards or the Food Standards Agency about any product which has falsely claimed to contain less fluoride than it actually does, Trading Standards will collect the product from the complainant and test it in one of its accredited laboratories. FADS would appreciate receiving an update on the outcome of the official investigation. Consequently, WMAF FADS will not be able to provide expert testimony at any court hearings. Nor, indeed, will this be necessary. 4

Appendix 1 Information to accompany the sample to be tested one form for each sample The following information is required by FADS in order to build a database of fluoridated products, including tap water, manufactured in the UK or on sale in the UK which contain or do not contain fluoride. 1. The full name of the product 2. The unique identification no. of the wine or water normally found close to the bar code 3. An accurate description of the sample, including country of origin, e.g. red Californian wine 4. The name of the manufacturer, water company or restaurant 5. Where the product was made, if applicable. 6. The shop and place bought 7. The date bought 8. Customer s name, address, post code, email address, phone number. NB. The postcode is essential if tap water is being analysed for fluoride. 9. Whether the customer lives in a fluoridated area; 10. A cheque for 6 per sample to be tested, made payable to: West Midlands Against Fluoridation. 5

Appendix 2 103 Effect of Infusion Time on the Fluoride Content of Tea M. KARAMI NOGOURANI, S. JAVADINEJAD, N. DIDEBAN, and S. JALALI, Islamic Azad University Dental Center, Isfahan, Iran Objectives: Tea is a naturally rich source of fluoride. In countries such as Iran where drinking black tea is very popular, tea consumption can contribute significantly to total fluoride intake. In this study, the effect of two different infusion times on fluoride content of four different popular teas consumed in Iran was examined. Methods: Three packages of four different brands of black tea (Lipton, Ceylon, Golestan, Mozafar) were purchased. Four grams of each tea package was infused in 100 ml of boiling Milli-Q water. Then the mixture left on a water bath for extraction of fluoride for 10 and 20 minutes at 85 o C. The determination of fluoride ion was carried out using ionic chromatography method. The findings were statistically analyzed using ANOVA, Duncan and T pair tests. Results: The mean concentration of fluoride ion of all four tea brands increases significantly from 2.98 ppm after a 10 min infusion to 3.29 ppm at 20 min(p=.004). Moreover, the concentration of fluoride ion was significantly higher in Lipton tea than the others in both times. Conclusion: Infusion time plays a very important role in extracting fluoride from tea leaves. Considering the popularity of tea consumption and due to the fact that concentration and daily intake of tea is completely vary among people, to provide daily fluoride or prevention of fluoride over dose, the brand and the length of infusion time should take into account in addition to other factors. http://www.iadr.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3859 6