USA: NASEM Committee publishes second NTP review

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wendy
Posts: 162
Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 5:51 am

USA: NASEM Committee publishes second NTP review

Post by wendy »

NOTE: For our submission to the NASEM Review Committee (October/November 2020), please see:
https://poisonfluoride.com/dir/wp-conte ... 4-2020.pdf

Commentary: Once again, the NASEM committee did NOT address the fluoride/thyroid issue [mechanistic data] - as misrepresented by the NTP - and further distorts the scientific evidence. As part of their mandate, the NASEM committee was to determine if findings had been documented correctly - it was one of the 6 tasks it was asked to do. It failed to do that - even when given specific examples of serious misrepresentations of the scientific literature in the NTP monograph.

Judging from the press release below, the review committee appears more concerned about protecting the status quo than conducting an accurate review. Its statement about high and low "fluoride concentrations" shows that the committee did not understand a most basic tenet of fluoride toxicology - that it is TOTAL intake of fluoride that is of concern, not a fluoride-in-water concentration. This was expressly mentioned and alerted to by many studies in the review. Of course, there were also studies showing adverse effects of fluoride upon thyroid hormone metabolism at water concentrations below those used in water fluoridation programs. We will address the full NASEM report at a later date.


_______________________________________

National Academies Complete Review of National Toxicology Program’s Second Draft Monograph on Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Effects

NASEM News Release - February 9, 2021

WASHINGTON — The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released today a review of the National Toxicology Program’s (NTP) second draft of the monograph Systematic Review of Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Health Effects.

The committee that wrote the National Academies report was tasked with reviewing the second draft of the monograph and focused on evaluating whether evidence as presented in the revised monograph supports NTP’s conclusions. The committee reviewed the first draft of the monograph in 2020. The committee did not conduct its own independent evaluation of the evidence in either review, nor did it conduct a data audit.

The new National Academies report recognizes the efforts made to revise the monograph and address some concerns previously raised. However, the second draft of the monograph still falls short of providing clear and convincing documentation of the evidence to support its conclusions. The monograph needs to emphasize that much of the evidence presented comes from studies that involve relatively high fluoride concentrations, and to make clear that the monograph cannot be used to draw conclusions about low fluoride exposure concentrations (less than 1.5 mg/mL), including those in fluoridated drinking water systems.

The monograph has great importance in the discussion about effects of fluoride on neurodevelopmental and cognitive health effects. It is critical for the monograph to be able to withstand scientific scrutiny by those who have vastly different opinions on the risks and benefits associated with fluoride exposure given that the issue has become highly contentious. Therefore, the committee strongly recommends that NTP improve the revised monograph by implementing its suggestions to improve clarity and transparency.

The study — undertaken by the Committee to Review NTP Monograph on the Systematic Review of Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Health Effects — was sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The National Academies are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.

NOTE: At the time NASEM conducted its initial review of the NTP report, it posted highly questionable and false misinformation on its website, as a "Based On Science Fact-Check" - denying that fluoride has any effects on IQ. https://poisonfluoride.com/dir/wp-conte ... demies.pdf
NASEM claimed that "test animals received 5 times the level of fluoride used to fluoridate U.S. drinking water" and that "no ill effects were observed" - thus implying that a large safety margin exists - without informing the public that rats require fluoride amounts 10 to 20 times higher to produce the same effects as are observed in humans at much lower doses.
Last edited by wendy on Fri Feb 12, 2021 1:31 am, edited 4 times in total.
wendy
Posts: 162
Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 5:51 am

About fluoride "concentrations"...

Post by wendy »

"In the assessment of the safety of a water supply with respect to the fluoride concentration, the total daily fluoride intake by the individual must be considered. Apart from variations in climatic conditions, it is well known that in certain areas, fluoride-containing foods form an important part of the diet. The facts should be borne in mind in deciding the concentration of fluoride to be permitted in drinking water."
“The total quantity of fluoride ingested is the single most important factor in determining the clinical course of skeletal fluorosis; the severity of symptoms correlates directly with the level and duration of exposure."
“Accurate estimates of fluoride exposure cannot be based simply on the concentration of fluoride in drinking water. Even for older children, intake from toothpaste and mouth rinse can still equal the daily intake from food, water, and other beverages.”
  • Health Effects of Ingested Fluoride — Subcommittee on Health Effects of Ingested Fluoride, Committee on Toxicology, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council, pg.30 (1993)
    https://poisonfluoride.com/dir/wp-conte ... e-1993.pdf
“The daily intake of most adults is about equally divided among food, drinking water, beverages, and mouthwash.”
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