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Pranav Golla

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Water Quality Impacts Health Disparities: Is your Water Sufficiently Fluoridated?

by Pranav Golla
3 mins read

Until recently, my view of clean water was a given. Water is from a clean source, properly treated, tested, and then sent through pipes to us. Turns out, it’s not that simple. Most people in America rely on public water systems regulated by the EPA, however research demonstrates that EPA regulations are always followed, so many public water systems are exposed to contaminants. After coming across Columbia University’s Drinking Dashboard tracking tool noting contaminant concentration estimates in community water systems across the US, I was energized to learn more about the ‘health’ of our water. 

 

In reviewing water sources, not only did I learn that not all water across our state is fluoridated, but also, water fluoridation levels recommended by the CDC and numerous public health and medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and World Health Organization are not followed. Water fluoridation is the process of adjusting naturally occurring fluoride levels to prevent tooth decay and unfortunately, only 70% of the US population lives in communities served by fluoridated water. The task of setting water quality standards at a national level is allocated to the EPA (they regulate 90% of water purchased in the US and 10% comes from private wells). Some states may have additional quality standards that need to be met in their state. My research reveals that with the California Assembly Bill 733 (1995), water systems with 10,000 or more service connections in California must fluoridate their water supply, but only when funding becomes available.


According to Calwater, fluoride levels in the water they serve can range from 0.1 mg/l to 1.0 mg/L based on location and time of year. This is because they purchase water from MWD and mix it with local sources for most customers. This changes the composition of Fluoride in every customer’s water which can lead to health disparities depending on the area you live in. Fluoride is a neurotoxin and can be harmful if taken in high doses. It can also lead to tooth discoloration and bone problems if people are exposed to it too much. Certain types of toothpaste contain fluoride and calling the poison control center is recommended if more than a pea sized amount is swallowed. On the other hand, many recent studies have shown that insufficient fluoride levels can increase the number of cavities. Communities that had more than 1.0mg/l of fluoride in their water had less cavities than people who had less fluoride in their water. The studies conclude that the optimal fluoride level to prevent tooth decay is 0/7mg/. These are just some of the side effects of taking too little or too much fluoride and shows why maintaining its level in water systems is important. EPA regulations call for a maximum of 4.0 mg/l of fluoride which is over 5 times the amount that is generally recommended and safe for drinking, 0.7mg/l.


Although health risks to communities, as a whole, are apparent and inadequate fluoride can lead to health disparities, only fluoridating when federal funding will eventually reduce community public health standards. If we do not urge politicians to bring change in these policies, we could continue to be risking our health through a universal right, clean water. 


 


References:

Alameda County Water District, Water Quality Report.

Annie Nigra, “Assessing Quality to Eliminate Environmental Injustice and Health Disparities” 26 July 2021 available at https://datascience.columbia.edu/news/2021/…

California Assembly Bill 733 (1995),

City of San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and Santa Clara Valley Water District Water Quality Report.
Columbia University Drinking Dashboard is available at //msph.shinyapps.io/drinking-water-dashboard/.

https://www.calwater.com/waterquality/fluoride/

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Featured

Santa Clara County Aids Minorities to Positively Impact Community Health

by Pranav Golla
3 mins read

As a student at Santa Clara High School, I benefit from learning from peers’ culturally diverse backgrounds as over 50% of my classmates are Hispanic or Filipino. This enriched ethnic environment allows opportunities to learn about different cultural traditions. However, during COVID, I learned more about how many of my classmates suffered specific health disparities attributed to the pandemic. 


Such disparities occur, even though the Santa Clara County Public Health Department Bay Area community works to improve access to care across the extended Bay Area, demonstrated by a new community board, the Race and Health Disparities Community Board, to tackle issues that help create these disparities and identify gaps in our existing healthcare systems and public health programs that leave some community members behind. According to California’s state government Covid-19 tracking, Latino people account for 45.7% of all Covid-19 cases while accounting for less than 39% of the population. When compared to other races such as white people, who account for 25.2% of the confirmed cases but make up more than a third of California’s population. We can clearly see the disproportionate impact the pandemic had on the Latino population of Santa Clara county. It is important to take steps to curb these inequalities and provide people of all races with opportunities to take care of their health and themselves. 

 

Moreover, my research reveals the diverse efforts the Santa Clara Public Health Department undertakes to conduct specialized health assessments for different racial and ethnic groups, including its Asian and Pacific Islander health assessment that revealed the stark differences between and within certain groups, such as Santa Clara’s Vietnamese community’s overall health and healthcare. Research shows that access is different than the health status and outcomes of South Asian members of the extended community.

 

I also learned that health disparities occur beyond the Bay Area, as measured by differences in incidence, mortality, burden of disease, and other adverse health conditions. While disparities are often interpreted to reflect differences between racial or ethnic groups, disparities can exist across different groups, including gender, sexual orientation, age, disability socioeconomic status, and geographic location, factors that may shape an individuals’ ability to achieve optimal health.

 

 

References:

Mitchelle Pitcher “New Santa Clara County board aims to address racial disparities in health care” 21 Feb 2021 Mercury News.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Committee on Community-Based Solutions to Promote Health Equity in the US; Baciu A, Negussie Y, Geller A, et al., editors. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity. Washington DC: National Academies Press (US); 2017 Jan 11 at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425844/.

https://covid19.ca.gov/state-dashboard/


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