Alex Johnston

Introduction It is estimated that about 144 million of the 246 million people that consume public drinking water in the United States consume fluoridated water (CDC, 2002). Fluoride, a halogen, is added to drinking water by many municipalities for the prevention of dental caries (Burgi, 1984). The addition of fluoride to drinking water has become a worldwide controversy. Fluoridation has provoked the study of its effects on several body systems including the brain, endocrine system, bones, and kidneys. Proponents of fluoridation believe that it is safe and that the benefits outweigh the risks, especially in low income areas where dental caries are more common (Connett et al., 2010). The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) named fluoridation as, one of the ten greatest health achievements of the twentieth century. (Fagin, 2008). Those who oppose fluoridation contend that it is unethical to treat populations with a compound without informed consent and argue that the practice is unsafe and unhealthy (Connett et al, 2010). There has been controversy in recent years about the effects of fluoride on the thyroid gland. Research has found that fluoride may act as an antagonist to iodine in the thyroid (Burgi, 1984), cause an enlarged thyroid gland (Trabelsi et al., 2001), and result in decreased thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyroxine (T3) levels in humans where endemic fluorosis is prominent (Yu, 1985) and in cows with chronic fluorosis (2005). Research has investigated populations that show evidence of fluorosis, but true experimental studies are rare. Experimenters in these studies have not manipulated fluoride consumption systematically but have conducted quasiexperimental research with populations that have been exposed to fluoride in their environment. The objective of this study is to determine whether varying levels of fluoride will affect the levels of T3, T4, and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) in rats over an eight week period.

Alex Johnston

References

Burgi, H., Siebenhuner, L., & Miloni, E. (1984). Fluoride and thyroid gland function: A review of the literature [Electronic version]. Klin Wochenschr, 62, 564-569. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). (2002). Populations receiving optimally fluoridated public drinking water- United States, 2000. MMWR 51: 144-147 [electronic version]. Available: http:// cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5107a2.htm [accessed Jul 7, 2004] Cinar, A., & Selcuk, M. (2005). Effects of chronic fluorosis on thyroxine, triiodothyronine, and protein bound iodine in cows [Electronic version]. Fluoride, 38: 65-68. Connett, P., Beck, J., & Micklem, H. (2010). The case against fluoride (, pp. 3-28). White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing. Fagin, D. (2008). Second thoughts about fluoride. Scientific American, 298(1). Trabelsi, M., Guermazi, F., & Zeghel, N. (2001). Effect of fluoride on thyroid function and cerebellar development in mice [Electronic version]. Fluoride, 34, 165-173. Yu, YN. (1985). Effects of chronic fluorosis in the thyroid gland. Chinese Med J,65: 747-749

Alex Johnston