November 1st, 2023 | Devon Kash

Where Does The Fluoride In Tap Water Come From?

Unlike naturally occurring fluoride, the stuff in tap water comes from the fertilizer industry.

Fluorosilicic acid, also known as hydrofluorosilicic acid, is a synthetic fluoride compound used in municipal water fluoridation. It is a byproduct of the phosphate fertilizer industry, generated by the wet scrubbing of industrial smokestack emissions to capture hydrogen fluoride gas. Despite its application for enhancing dental health, there are several concerns regarding the negative health effects linked to fluorosilicic acid. More concerning is that several Canadian municipalities have failed to make public how they fluoridate their water systems and who they buy hydrofluorosilicic acid from.

Naturally occurring fluoride is found in various forms in nature, including calcium fluoride, sodium fluoride, and magnesium fluoride. These compounds are naturally present in rocks, soil, water, and are absorbed by plants and animals, including humans. Fluoride is essential for the formation and maintenance of healthy teeth and bones. It helps prevent tooth decay by making tooth enamel more resistant to acid attacks from plaque bacteria and sugars in the mouth. Most of the fluoride we consume occurs naturally. However, excessive amounts can lead to negative health and dental effects.

Hydrofluorosilicic acid is not naturally occurring fluoride.

In most public debates about water fluoridation, the lines between naturally occurring fluoride and synthetic fluoride, like hydrofluorosilicic acid, are blurred or outright obfuscated. Public officials will often fail to educate the public on the source of municipal water fluoridation. This is either purposeful, or the result of their very own ignorance about hydrofluorosilicic acid. In either case, the public is left in the dark about the true nature of the fluoride in their water, with many left believing it is no different than naturally occurring fluoride.

In the United States, fluorosilicic acid is primarily used for community water fluoridation. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), community water fluoridation is one of the “most effective public health measures for preventing tooth decay”. In the United States, approximately 75% of the population receiving treated community water receives fluoridated water from public water systems.

Excessive fluoride consumption has been linked to several adverse health effects, including some cognitive disorders.

Regardless of the opinions on the negative health effects of excess fluoridation, or of hydrofluorosilicic acid, what's more concerning is the secrecy and lack of information made available to the public about how our water is being fluoridated. Since the summer of 2022, myself and other PostCanadian contributors have been attempting to get information from our councillors, our local authorities and even our provincial ministers of municipalities. None have been able to give information on the source of municipal fluoride, or about who may be supplying the product.

Like everything else, hydrofluorosilicic acid is a product. It is produced somewhere and is sold to our municipalities by someone. We simply haven't been able to confirm who in most of the municipalities we have researched. However, as we continue to wait on some FOIP requests, the nature of hydrofluorosilicic acid points us in the direction of one particular industry: the chemical industry.

Where (Hydro)Fluorosilicic Acid Comes From

Some of the biggest North American producers of phosphate fertilizers include Mosaic, Nutrien, the Potash Corporation Of Saskatchewan, Gulf Minerals & Chemicals, and Agrium. Although these companies produce hydrofluorosilicic acid—a byproduct of phosphate fertilizer production—they do not always act as the suppliers to municipalities.

Chemical distributors and chemical supply companies often purchase hydrofluorosilicic acid at a discount and then distribute or sell it to municipalities in Canada and the United States.

A list of companies providing fluoride in the United States can be found here. Finding the companies that provide fluoride to Canadian municipalities is a bit more challenging. One company in Saskatoon, however, called ClearTech, specializes in water treatment. Saskatoon has had its water fluoridated for upwards of two or more decades. In 2022, the city of Saskatoon paid $439,969 to ClearTech. The city also paid Min-Chem Canada more than $170,000 in the same year, another potential supplier of hydrofluorosilicic acid.

It is important to note that ClearTech has had contracts with the city of Vancouver as well, but not for fluoridation, as Vancouver residents have repeatedly rejected the fluoridation of their municipal water systems. The company offers a variety of other water treatment solutions.

Companies known to have supplied some Canadian municipalities with fluorosilicic acid in the past include Phoenix based, Tessenderlo Kerley Inc., German chemical manufacturer Brenntag, and Texas based Pencco Inc.. Three more key chemical distributors known for supplying municipal fluorosilicic acid are Univar Solutions, ChemOne, and PVS Technologies.

Although we don't know which companies provide which municipalities in Canada with fluorosilicic acid, they give us a good groundwork and idea of where to look—and how to look for sources of municipal water fluoridation. There may be several smaller companies operating locally, but knowing how to approach freedom of information requests and municipal inquiries will help us find names. Once we know the names of distributors and manufacturers, we can follow possible trails of money to local, provincial and federal policymakers.

Follow The Money

Like BigOil and BigPharma, if there is money coming from BigChem, we'll find heaps of politicians and policymakers investing in stocks, receiving donations, and taking kickbacks. With the rage-farming and the vehement push for positive public perceptions on water fluoridation, there is no doubt about whether money could be funding some of the more aggressive campaigns to improve public opinion. We just need to find out where that money is coming from.

If you have more information about who supplies fluoride to your municipality, please let us know to further our investigation.