Is tap water good or bad for your health? Researchers at the University of North Carolina, in the United States, wanted to know if the consumption tap water was related to the concentration of lead in the blood, and the number of cavities in young people. The results of their study were published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Scientists analyzed part of the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) from 2005 to 2014. They broke down the data on blood lead and the dental caries of 16,000 children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years. A high level of lead in the blood corresponded to at least 3 micrograms of lead per decilitre.
A voluntary addition of fluoride in the water
About 15% of children said they did not drink tap water, 3% had high blood lead levels and half suffered from dental caries. From their analysis, it emerged that children and adolescents who did not drink tap water were more likely to have dental caries, but lower blood lead levels.
This is explained by the fact that many Anglo-Saxon countries, notably the United States, still practice voluntary fluoridation of tap water. This is no longer the case in France since the 80s, but our water generally contains fluoride salts. Star of our toothpastes, it protects teeth from cavities by acting as a barrier on our enamel. But in too high a quantity, the consumption of fluoride can cause fluorosis which is characterized by the appearance of white spots on the teeth and which particularly affects children. This is why French regulations authorize a maximum volume of 1.5 mg of fluoride per liter of water.
Re lead in tap water, its level is highly regulated in France. It was lowered to 10 µg/L on December 25, 2013 and for 15 years the lead pipes and branches have gradually been replaced by other materials.
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