Awesome, it's great to see this being mentioned more on a public scale. Smart move on part of both the coach and athlete, as even trace levels of Sodium Fluoride can have effects on muscles, joints, thyroid gland, and motor skills. It's the slightly less toxic version of it's parent hydrofluorosilicic acid. Hydrofluorosilicic acid is an industrial waste product from the phosphate, aluminum, and nuclear industry. It's toxic waste that EPA won't allow large corporations like Monsanto and Dupont to dump, so they package it as a tooth decay preventative medication. The evidence of the initial studies indicating a correlation between calcium fluoride and good dental hygiene is tenuous at best. Both Hydrofluorosilicic acid and sodium fluoride aren't the same as calcium fluoride, so using that data doesn't make sense at all. I'd also rather not drink water or brush my teeth with chemicals that eat through concrete.
Straight from the mouth of the CDC (Center for disease control)...
Sources of Fluoride Additives
Most fluoride additives used in the United States are produced from phosphorite rock. Phosphorite is used primarily in the manufacture of phosphate fertilizer. Phosphorite contains calcium phosphate mixed with limestone (calcium carbonates) minerals and apatite—a mineral with high phosphate and fluoride content. It is refluxed (heated) with sulfuric acid to produce a phosphoric acid-gypsum (calcium sulfate-CaSO4) slurry.
The heating process releases hydrogen fluoride (HF) and silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4) gases which are captured by vacuum evaporators. These gases are then condensed to a water-based solution of 23% FSA with the remainder as water.
Approximately 95% of FSA used for water fluoridation comes from this process. The remaining 5% of FSA is generated during the manufacture of hydrogen fluoride or from the use of hydrogen fluoride in the manufacturing of solar panels and electronics.
Since the early 1950s, FSA has been the chief additive used for water fluoridation in the United States. The favorable cost and high purity of FSA make it a popular source. Sodium fluorosilicate and sodium fluoride are dry additives that come largely from FSA.
FSA can be partially neutralized by either table salt (sodium chloride) or caustic soda to get sodium fluorosilicate. If enough caustic soda is added to neutralize the fluorosilicate completely, it results in sodium fluoride. Sodium fluoride is also produced by mixing caustic soda with hydrogen fluoride, although approximately 90% of the sodium fluoride used in the United States comes from FSA.
Water Fluoridation Additives
Good to see you posting again, Ron.
