The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

6 . WAT ERLOO CHRONICLE . Wednesday, February 20, 2008 Continued from page I addition of inorganic fluorides to drinkingwater. Carole Clinch, the research co-ordi- nator for People for Safe Drinking Water, called it a historic moment for her group when they received the letter at the start of February. The last time the ministry reviewed fluoridation was in 1999. Since then, Clinch said there's been more research to show that the lower fluoride levels in drinking water have a negligible effect. The science itself is questioning whether fluoridation has an effect at all in preventing cavities in a number of peer-reviewed Journals. Worse, Clinch said, there is a con- cern that hydrofhmrosilicic acid, an industrial byproduct which is added to Waterloo's drinking water, may have some negative health effects as it con- tributes trace amounts of lead and arsenic to the water. The Waterloo- based peer reviewer has even cut fluor, idated water out of her own diet because of concerns that it has con- tributed to her hypothyroidism. "In the history of water fluoridation, this is only the second time that Min- istry of the Environment and Health Canada have done a review of this sub- ject," said Clinch. She said that report- ed cases of mottled teeth caused by flu- oride are higher than they were during the last review and that people are ingesting the substance from more external sources. They no longer need it in their drinking water. Ministry will do thorough review "The occurrence of cavities hasn't really changed much, but the inci- denceof fluorosis has," said Clinch. "And the concentration levels that they are using now, according to the Centres The Win City Iayéees have asked The Lions Club of Kitchener to canyon with thisirpportanttmditionin our community. We graciously acceptdi andthank them for their outstanding involv.ttnent over the last 50 years. TheuonsaurottotettrsritinEnytinati1rttttrthe 51st Annual Citizen (the Year from Kitchener Waterloo. F-is-lt), MD We ir, in on; of two ways: You can submit directty online -ldtSttttryplran mail a detailed resume 'of wear" Lions Club of Kitchener for Disease Control, are too low to have a topical ttreq. _ 'so if they're too low to have a topi- cal effect when we're drinking it, why are they still promoting it?" _ _ In the letter, the ministry acknowl- edged that there is a competing con- cern surrounding the fluoridation of drinking water, but the protection of Ontario's drinking water is paramount to the ministry and municipalities around the province. Satish Deshpande, a team leader of drinking-water standards at the stan- dard development branch at the Min- istry of the Environment, said the review can take up to two years and will run parallel to one that Health Canada is already engaged in regarding the drinking water guidelines for fluo- ride, "Basically what we do is take the submissions made by the applicants, and it is a fairly lengthy amount of information that they've compiled," said Deshpande. "We will review that information and review it against peer- reviewed literature. “We will also consult with experts if necessary, and I suspect that it will be." In addition to the literature review and expert consultation, the ministry will contact the original authors of the new fluoride studies. Deshpande said if that review requires a policy change they will con- suit with the municipalities involved about the changes required. "We do a fairly public consultation on the (Envi- ronmental Bill of Rights) and we usual- 1y get a lot of comments from the stakeholders," he said. "And we're obli- gated to respond to the consultation as to how we received what was said and what we did about it."