Public Trust in Tap Water May Hinge on Fluoride Link to Child IQ

A federal agency’s preliminary finding that high concentrations of fluoride may decrease children’s IQ will, if finalized, be hard to explain to the public, scientists said Nov. 6.

The National Toxicology Program’s (NTP) draft report concludes that “fluoride is presumed to be a cognitive neurodevelopmental hazard to humans,” Seun Ajiboye, director of science policy and government affairs at the American Association for Dental Research, told a National Academies panel.

The public and media will focus on that “sensational” sentence, Ajiboye said.

Few people will read the report’s other finding: It’s unclear whether the mineral would harm children drinking ...