Presentation at Massachusetts Sustainable Communities and Campuses Conference

1. Getting Ten Toxics Out of Our Lives
Paul Connett, PhD
Professor Emeritus of Environmental Chemistry
St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY
Director,
Fluoride Action Network
www.FluorideALERT.org
pconnett@gmail.com
Lowell, April 17, 2014

2. TOXIC # 1
Let’s get FLUORIDE out of
the public water supply

3. How Hazardous Waste
Ended Up in Our Drinking Water
and the Bad Science and
Powerful Politics
That Keep It There
THE CASE AGAINST
Fluoride
PAUL CONNETT, PhD
James Beck, MD, PhD | H. Spedding Micklem, DPhil
.......
A New Look
at the Scientific
Evidence
.......
Book published
by Chelsea Green
October, 2010
Can be ordered
on Amazon.com
See
FluorideAlert.org
for more information

4. James Beck, MD, PhD, A retired professor of Physics from Calgary

5. HS Micklem, D Phil (Oxon) A retired professor of Biology from Edinbrgh

6. 1) Undeniable Facts

7. FACT 1: The level of fluoride in
mothers’ milk is VERY LOW
The level is 0.004 ppm (NRC, 2006, p.40)

8. A bottle-fed baby in
fluoridated community
(0.7 – 1.2 ppm) gets
175-300 times more
than a breast-fed baby

9. Biochemistry
n FACT 2: Not one single
biological process in the
human body has been shown
to require fluoride… BUT

10. Biochemistry
n FACT 3: Many biological
processess have been shown
to be harmed by fluoride
given a sufficient tissue
concentration

11. n FACT 4: About 50-60% of the
fluoride ingested each day is
excreted in the urine but the rest
accumulates in the bone and
other calcifying tissues. The first
symptoms of fluoride’s poisoning
of the bone and connective tissues
(skeletal fluorosis) are identical to
arthritis.

12. n FACT 5: The chemicals used to
fluoridate are not pharmaceutical
grade but industrial grade waste
products from the phosphate
fertilizer industry

13. n FACT 6: Most countries do not
fluoridate their water, including
97% of Europe

14. 97% of Western European population now
drinks Non-Fluoridated Water
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Iceland
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Northern Ireland
Norway
Scotland
Sweden
Switzerland

15. Austria*
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
France*
Germany*
Greece
Iceland
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Northern Ireland
Norway
Scotland
Sweden
Switzerland*
*Some fluoridate their salt
97% of Western European population now
drinks Non-Fluoridated Water

16. FACT 7: According to WHO data
tooth decay in 12-year-olds
is coming down as fast
in F as NF countries

17. SOURCE: World Health Organization. (Data online)

18. 18

19. 19

20. n FACT 8: Leading proponents of
fluoridation now admit that
fluoride’s benefit is
predominantly TOPICAL not
systemic (CDC, 1999, 2001)

21. Fluoride’s main benefit is TOPICAL.
It works on the outside of the tooth.
“Its actions primarily are topical for both adults and children."
Centers for Disease Control, 1999
"Fluoride's predominant effect is posteruptive and topical."
Centers for Disease Control, 2001

22. Fluoridation violates common sense
n If fluoride works on the outside of the
tooth why swallow it? Why put it in the
drinking water?
n If you want fluoride brush your teeth with
fluoridated toothpaste and then spit it out.
n This way you avoid exposing tissues that a)
don’t need it and b) may be harmed by it
n And you also avoid forcing it on people who
don’t want it!

23. n FACT 9: Based on dental
fluorosis rates American kids are
being hugely over-exposed to
fluoride – from water, from
dental products and pesticide and
fertilizer residues on food

24. Context on Dental Fluorosis
Early promoters thought that at 1 ppm F
they could reduce tooth decay and limit
dental fluorosis to 10% of children in
its very mild form.

25. Very Mild Dental Fluorosis
Impacts up to 25% of tooth surface

26. CDC (2010)
Beltrán-Aguilar et al. Prevalence and Severity
of Dental Fluorosis in the United States,
1999-2004
41% of ALL American children
aged 12-15 (average from both
fluoridated and non-fluoridated
communities) had dental fluorosis

27. CDC, 2010
41%

28. Mild Dental Fluorosis
Impacts up to 50% of tooth surface

29. CDC, 2010
41%

30. Moderate- Severe
Dental Fluorosis
Impacts 100% of tooth surface

31. A KEY QUESTION
When fluoride is damaging the
baby’s growing tooth cells
(causing dental fluorosis) what is it
doing to its other developing
tissues?

32. FACT 10: Since 1990’s
extensive evidence has
emerged that fluoride
damages the brains of
animals and humans

33. Over 40 animal studies show that prolonged
exposure to fluoride can damage the brain.
19 animal studies report that mice or rats
ingesting fluoride have an impaired capacity to
learn and remember.
12 studies (7 human, 5 animal) link fluoride with
neurobehavioral deficits
3 human studies link fluoride exposure with
impaired fetal brain development
37 out of 43 published studies show that
fluoride lowers IQ

34. The Harvard review
n Choi et al (the team included Philippe
Grandjean) did a meta-analysis of 27
studies comparing IQ in “high” versus
“low” fluoride villages .
n The study was published in
Environmental Health Perspectives
(published by NIEHS)

35. Harvard meta-analysis of 27 studies
n The Harvard team acknowledged
that there were weaknesses in many
of the studies, however…

36. n …the results were remarkably
consistent
n In 26 of the 27 studies there was
lower average IQ in the “high”
versus low-fluoride villages.
n Average IQ lowering was about 7
IQ points.

37. Promoters claim that the fluoride
levels in the “High Fluoride” villages
were so high that they are not
relevant to fluoridation programs?
n THIS IS NOT TRUE. In nine of the
studies the “high fluoride village” had
concentrations less than 3 ppm

39. Using 1.8 ppm as our starting point and
using standard regulatory toxicological
procedures - in order to protect all
children (including the most sensitive)
from lowered IQ they should not drink
more than two teaspoons of fluoridated
water per day.

40. Dr. Philippe Grandjean
“Fluoride seems to fit in with lead, mercury,
and other poisons that cause chemical brain
drain. The effect of each toxicant may seem
small, but the combined damage on a
population scale can be serious, especially
because the brain power of the next
generation is crucial to all of us.” (Harvard
Press Release)

41. IQ and population
100
Number of Kids
With a
Specific IQ
IQ

42. IQ and population
Very BrightMentally
handicapped
100
Number of Kids
With a
Specific IQ
IQ

43. IQ and population
95 100
Number of Kids
With a
Specific IQ
IQ

44. IQ and population
Very BrightMentally
handicapped
95 100
Number of Kids
With a
Specific IQ
IQ

45. Go to
FluorideALERT.org
For more information

46. TOXIC # 2
Let’s get SUGAR-LADEN
soft drinks out of schools

47. n In 1949, one year before the US
Public Health Service endorsed
fluoridation, the Sugar Research
Foundation (the Sugar Lobby) said
the purpose of the foundation’s
research was “to find how tooth
decay may be controlled effectively
without restriction of sugar intake.”

48. The Sugar Lobby then
proceeded to pay
scientists to promote the
benefits of both sugar
and water fluoridation.

49. One of these as Dr. Frederick
Stare, chairman of Nutrition
Department at Harvard. He
said that “Coca Cola” was a
nutritious drink and for over
40 years campaigned for water
fluoridation

50. Frederick Stare, was one of the
founding members of the
American Council on Science
and Health (ACSH) an
industry funded group, which
has never found a chemical
(including dioxin) it didn’t like!

51. Frederick Stare, was one fo the
“scientists” who aggresively
attacked Rachel Carson when
she published her book “The
Silent Spring”

52. Has North America’s obsession
with water fluoridation
contributed to the current
epidemic of OBESITY?

53. The Good News is if we were now
to put the emphasis on
EDUCATION instead of
FLUORIDATION (e.g. the
Childsmile program in Scotland)
we could combine the fight
against TOOTH DECAY with the
fight against OBESITY.

54. TOXIC # 3
Let’s get MERCURY out of
our mouths and out of
vaccines

55. So-called “silver fillings”
are 50% mercury!

56. The same groups that
support fluoridation
support mercury amalgams

57. IAOMT versus ADA/FDA
IAOMT = The International Academy of
Oral Medicine and Toxicology
Check out the information on the IAOMT web
page on the dangers of mercury amalgams
www.iaomt.org ALSO
The web page of the Consumers for Dental
Choice (Charlie Brown) toxicteeth.org
Charlie Brown video plus Top 10 Reasons to
Support Mercury-Free Dentistry

58. For many years
THIMEROSAL was used
as a preservative in
vaccines.
Thimerosal is based on
ETHYL MERCURY i.e.
organic mercury

59. How could any responsible
health official allow the
injection of organic
MERCURY directly into a
baby’s bloodstream?

60. At one point, babies in the
U.S. were receiving a
combined dose of organic
mercury directly into
their bodies, which was
100 times the so-called
“safe” level for ingestion!

61. THIMEROSAL
is still used as a preservative
in some vaccines today (e.g.
FLU vaccines)

62. TOXIC # 4
Let’s get FRACKING out of
our planet

63. They are using horribly toxic
substances (including
hydrofluoric acid) which is
poisoning the workers and will
eventually poison our water

64. Toxic # 5
Let’s get the halogens
(Fluorine, Chlorine and
Bromine) out of
commercial products (e.g.
PVC)

65. PVC was invented by the
German chemical industry
as a way of getting rid of
excess chlorine

66. Compare polyethylene with poly
vinyl chloride (PVC)
n Poylethylene
H etc
n -C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-
n H
n PVC (Cl replaces H on every other carbon)
n Cl Cl Cl
n -C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-
n PVC is 58% chlorine by weight

67. PVC is a source of dioxins
and furans in manufacture,
disposal (incineration) and
accidental fires

68. Dioxins - major health concerns
• Dioxins accumulate in animal fat. One liter of cows’ milk gives
the same dose of dioxin as breathing air next to the cows for
EIGHT MONTHS (Connett and Webster, 1987).
• In one day a grazing cow puts as much dioxin into its body as a
human being would get in 14 years of breathing (McLachlan,
1995)!
• Dioxins steadily accumulate in human body fat. The man cannot
get rid of them BUT A woman can…
• …by having a baby!
• Thus the highest dose of dioxin goes to the fetus and then to the
new born infant via breastfeeding…

69. Dioxins interfere with fetal and infant
devlopment
n Dioxins act like fat soluble hormones
n Disrupt at least six different hormonal systems:
male and female sex hormones; thyroid hormones;
insulin; gastrin and gluocorticoid.
n Linda S. Birnbaum (Health Effects Research
Laboratory, US EPA) Developmental Effects of
Dioxins Environmental Health Perspectives, 103:
89-94, 1995

70. Our Stolen Future
How Man-made Chemicals are Threatening
our Fertility, Intelligence and Survival
Theo Colborn
John Peterson Myers
Dianne Dumanoski
1994

71. Dioxin like compounds (DLC)
n 3 families
n PCBs
n PCDFs (furans)
n PCDDs (dioxins)

72. Benzene
C
C
C
C
C
C
H
H
H
H
H
H
=
C6H6

73. BENZENE

74. BIPHENYL

75. One of 209 PCBS

76. One of 209 PCBS
PCBs = a family of compounds in which
chlorine atoms are substituted for hydrogen
at 1 to 10 positions of BIPHENYL .
Polychlorinated biphenyls

77. Furans (or PCDFs) have an oxygen atom forming
a five membered ring (the furan) between the two
benzenes of PCBs. There are 135 furans.
Furans (or PCDFs)

78. 2,3,7,8-TETRACHLORODIBENZO-P-DIOXIN
Dioxins (or PCDDs) have two oxygen atoms
linking the two benzene rings, forming the
dioxin ring. There are 75 dioxins.
Dioxins (or PCDDs)

79. 2,3,7,8-TETRA CHLORO DIBENZO FURAN
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

80. There are 17 extremely toxic dioxins and furans. They
have chlorine at the 2,3,7 and 8 positions:
7 Dioxins and 10 Furans

81. TOXIC # 6
Let’s get GMOs (and
pesticides) out
of agriculture

82. Monsanto Again:
Round Up and GMOs

83. Nature has been experimenting
with the chemistry of living
things for millions of years

84. Modern chemistry has been in
existence for a mere 200 years.
The thought that we could
improve on nature’s
fundamental designs (DNA etc)
is PREPOSTEROUS!

85. Have you ever seen a mouse
make love
to a strawberry?

86. See Jeffrey Smith’s brilliant book:
“The Seeds of Deception.”

87. TOXIC # 7
Let’s get PLASTICS out of
the oceans and all
throwaway plastics out of
our lives

88. Sostenibilita’

89. TOXIC # 8
Let’s get INCINERATION
out of waste management

91. INCINERATION
Wastes valuable resources
(including human
resources)

92. MATERIALS RECOVERY FACILITY

94. INCINERATION
is a waste of energy

95. Energy Comparison: Recycling versus
incineration (ICF consulting, 2005)
material Energy
savings from
recycling
GJ/tonne
Energy output
from
incineration
GJ/tonne
Energy savings
recycling
versus
incineration
Newsprint 6.33 2.62 2.4
Fine paper 15.87 2.23 7.1
Cardboard 8.56 2.31 3.7
Other paper 9.49 2.25 4.2
HDPE 64.27 6.30 10.2
PET 85.16 3.22 26.4
Other plastic 52.09 4.76 10.9

96. INCINERATION
Doesn’t get rid of landfills

97. Covanta “Combined Ash” monofill,
Haverhill, Mass

98. Covanta “Combined Ash” monofill,
Haverhill, Mass

99. Incinerators put many highly toxic and
persistent substances into the air

100. AIR EMISSIONS
CO2 + H2O
ACID GASES:
HCI, HF, SO2
NOx
TOXIC METALS:
Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cr etc
NEW COMPOUNDS:
PCDDs (DIOXINS)
PCDFs (FURANS)
PCB’s
ETC

101. AIR EMISSIONS
CO2 + H2O
ACID GASES:
HCI, HF, SO2
NOx
TOXIC METALS:
Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cr etc
NEW COMPOUNDS:
PCDDs (DIOXINS)
PCDFs (FURANS)
PCB’s
ETC
NANO
PARTICLES

102. Size of
Particle
regulated
in incinerator
emissionsNANOPARTICLES

103. Incineration and
nanoparticles
§ Nanoparticles are not
efficiently captured by
air pollution control
devices

104. BLOOD
Nano particles are
so small they
can easily cross
the lung membrane

105. Nano Pathology
n Once nanoparticles have
entered the bloodstream
they can easily cross the
membranes of every
tissue in the body.

106. Aggregati di Piombo, Bario, Cromo, Ferro e Silicio in Cervello.
www.stefanomontanari.net

107. Incineration, Nanoparticles &
Health
Statement of Evidence
Particulate Emissions and Health Proposed
Ringaskiddy Waste-to-Energy Facility
Professor C. Vyvyan Howard MB. ChB. PhD.
FRCPath. June 2009
VYV.howard@googlemail.com

108. No scientific response from
industry or government to Dr.
Howard’s analysis

109. TOXIC # 9
Let’s get
WASTE
out of the dictionary!

110. Even if you could make
incineration safe you could
never make it sensible

111. The modern incinerator (or gasifier) is
attempting to perfect a bad idea
n Our task in the 21st Century is not to
find better ways to destroy discarded
materials
n But to stop making packaging and
products that have to be destroyed!

112. Our task
is to convert a
Linear Society into
a Circular Society

113. Extraction Production Consumption Waste
A LINEAR SOCIETY

114. Extraction of
Virgin
Materials
Production of
Manufactured
items
Consumption
Discarded
Materials
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
ENERGY ENERGY
A LINEAR SOCIETY

115. Extraction of
Virgin
Materials
Production of
Manufactured
items
Consumption
Discarded
Materials
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
ENERGY ENERGY
GLOBAL WARMING
A LINEAR SOCIETY

116. Extraction of
Virgin
Materials
Production of
Manufactured
items
Consumption
Discarded
Materials
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
ENERGY ENERGY
GLOBAL WARMING
How do waste management
practices affect this picture?

117. Extraction of
Virgin
Materials
Production of
Manufactured
items
Consumption
Discarded
Materials
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
ENERGY ENERGY
LANDFILLS
GLOBAL WARMING

118. Extraction of
Virgin
Materials
Production of
Manufactured
items
Consumption
Discarded
Materials
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
ENERGY ENERGY
INCINERATION
GLOBAL WARMING

119. Extraction of
Virgin
Materials
Production of
Manufactured
items
Consumption
Discarded
Materials
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
ENERGY ENERGY
GLOBAL WARMING
RECYCLING OF MATERIALS

120. Extraction of
Virgin
Materials
Production of
Manufactured
items
Consumption
Discarded
Materials
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
ENERGY ENERGY
GLOBAL WARMING
REUSE OF OBJECTS

121. Extraction of
Virgin
Materials
Production of
Manufactured
items
Consumption
Discarded
Materials
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
ENERGY ENERGY
GLOBAL WARMING
COMPOSTING

122. Extraction of
Virgin
Materials
Production of
Manufactured
items
Consumption
Discarded
Materials
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
Solid waste
Air pollution
Water pollution
Carbon dioxide
ENERGY ENERGY
GLOBAL WARMING
REDUCTION

123. Our task
is to convert a
Throwaway Society into
a Sustainable Society

124. As far as sustainability is concerned
Every ton of waste that we landfill or
incinerate takes us in the wrong
direction
Whereas, every ton we
Compost,
Reuse,
Recycle, or
Avoid
Takes us in the right direction

125. TEN STEPS
To
ZERO WASTE

126. 6. Waste
Reduction
Initiatives
4.
Recycling
5. Reuse,
Repair &
Deconstruction
1.
Source
Separation
2.
Door to Door
Collection
3.
Composting
8. Residual
Separation &
Research
Center
9. Better
Industrial
Design
7.
Economic
Incentives
10. Interim Landfill 2020

127. 6. Waste
Reduction
Initiatives
4.
Recycling
5. Reuse,
Repair &
Deconstruction
1.
Source
Separation
2.
Door to Door
Collection
3.
Composting
8. Residual
Separation &
Research
Center
9. Better
Industrial
Design
7.
Economic
Incentives
10. Interim Landfill 2020

128. This plan
1) Is better for the Economy…
MORE JOBS
2) Is better for our HEALTH…
LESS TOXICS
3) Is better for our UNIVERSITIES
MORE MEANING
4) Is better for the PLANET…
MORE SUSTAINABLE
5) Is better for our CHILDREN…
MORE HOPE

129. TOXIC # 10
Let’s get
DISHONEST
BUREAUCRATS
out of government

130. CIVIL SERVANTS are
supposed to be working for
the tax-payers

131. We have the right to expect them
to give OBJECTIVE
information to decision
makers.

132. If they can’t do that then we
should get rid of them!

133. Let’s look at the propaganda
used by some civil servants
in the promotion of
fluoridation

134. Queensland Health’s
promotion of “mandatory”
statewide fluoridation)
(2007)

135. n “ In Townsville, water
supplies have been
fluoridated since 1964,
resulting in 65% less
tooth decay in children
than those in
Brisbane”
Qld Health newspaper ads Dec
2007

136. How did they get the 65% less decay ?

137. “ Teeth exposed to
fluoridated water”
Qld Health 2007

138. “ Teeth exposed to
fluoridated water”
Qld Health 2007
“ Teeth without exposure
to fluoridated water”
Qld Health 2007

140. Medical officer of health Dr. Hazel Lynn holds up a
picture of a child's teeth. Lynn said water fluoridation
prevents tooth decay and is a safe practice. (Owen
Sound, Sun Times, Jan 31, 2014)

141. What we have here are public
servants betraying the public’s trust.
This is not healthy in a democratic
society.

142. The Ten Toxics again
1) Fluoride out of our water
2) Mercury amalgams out of our
mouths and mercury out of
vaccines
4) Sugared soft drinks out of schools
5) Pesticides and GMOs out of
agriculture

143. The Ten Toxics again
6) The halogens out of commercial
products
7) Plastics out of our oceans
8) Incineration out of waste management
9) Waste out of our vocabulary
10) Dishonest bureaucrats out of
government.

144. EXTRA SLIDES