What’s in Your Water?—Fluoride-Free or Regular Water?! Pt. 1

Do you constantly have mucus lingering in your throat? Do find yourself still thirsty after drinking water?

Has your throat been irritated? Do you constantly have mucus lingering in your throat? Do find yourself still thirsty after drinking water? Chances are YOUR WATER SOURCE might be one of the reasons!

When I first moved to Washington, DC, within a few weeks I realized something was off. I had a lingering sense of something in my throat, and as a health conscious individual, I started to investigate and assess the root cause...

Having just recently moved to the area, many things were on my mind. But in all the distraction, I know my body well and I can immediately sense when something is not operating normally. There was something weird going on with my throat and there were no other variables that had changed in my life — except location. Was it bacteria, nope, virus, nope, dairy NOPE SINCE I WAS ALREADY VEGAN (but dairy can worsen and cause inflammation, excess mucus, coagulation and worsen asthma symptoms…). I narrowed it down and although I was drinking from a standard carbon filter (filtered stations on-campus), THE WATER SMELLED like chlorine,  HEAVILY. And I’m not talking about TAP WATER… I’m talking about filtered water—which is purified water that undergoes carbon treatment to remove some contaminants / particles. But I soon learned that it does not remove even half of the harsh, carcinogenic/ endocrine disrupter chemicals….

Public Water & Home Filtered Water:

Besides visible mucous, itchy throat, and dehydration—I was shocked to discover that my local water source from my zip code had 13+ contaminates!! Contaminants that could not be filtered or removed by standard water filters… including BRITA…

Contaminants I Found in My Drinking Water and the Potential Health Effects...

Just so we are on the same page, a contaminant - is a substance that is unintentionally introduced into food, water, air, or soil and may cause harm. "The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) defines "contaminant" as any physical, chemical, biological or radiological substance or matter in water" (EPA, 2024). Sources: can originate from various sources, including industrial activities, agricultural practices, natural occurrences, and the use of certain products. "Some contaminants may be harmful if consumed at certain levels in drinking water" (EPA, 2024).

Based on my zip code search in DC (last checked in 2025) here is what I found in the water and their respective health effects. The numbers indicate how much of the contaminant is present PAST THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP (EWG) GUIDELINES. More on the guidelines in part two but they have higher standards than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

• 179x BEYOND SAFE - Bromochloroacetic acid (Chorine) - Cancer & issues in during pregnancy

• 310x BEYOND SAFE - Total trihalomethanes - Cancer

• 79x BEYOND SAFE - Chloroform - Cancer

• & 10 others BEYOND SAFETY LEVELS

Water in Washington, DC

The DC water I was drinking from, had so many potential health effects including CANCER and which country has the highest incidence and fatality rates of cancer?…the United States. Other studies and correlations with water with certain contaminants have also linked to skin conditions, stomach pain, blindness and many others...

Something is clearly going on with our water and yes government has a responsibility. Washington,DC has taken one step in the right direction to replace all lead pipes by 2030!! Wahoo we are getting somewhere, but there is still the water purification itself that is the other MAIN PROBLEM. So there is more work to be done...

Fluoride & Water:

Fluoride is also another popular and controversial topic. These past few months two states (Utah & Florida) have banned adding fluoride to public water.

What is fluoride for?

• Adding fluoride in water was a public health initiative from 1910s-1970s in the U.S. it was promoted and then added to the water after there was a pattern with children’s teeth were not only getting cavities but also decaying. Fluoride is a natural mineral found in soil, rocks and some foods.

• Is it bad for you? the discovery and studies were made that fluoride is effective at preventing and decreasing the risk of contracting cavities, and rotting teeth by 50-70% in children. "There have been several studies finding that too much fluoride can decrease cognitive development in children" Because pregnant mothers can pass it to their children, higher levels of fluoride are being found as well as micro plastics, BPA, PFAS, etc.

• What products have fluoride?—public water, some bottled water, toothpaste, floss, seafood, certain teas, potatoes and some fruits. There are many products that have fluoride, an excess amount based on the EPA & EWG's recommendations have been considered a risk to cognitive issues, but positive for oral health (clean and healthy teeth)!

TIPS PLEASE!

I personally and thankfully have not had a cavity in my childhood or adult life—what’s my secret? Going to the dentist AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR.  Brush teeth multiple times daily with fluoride toothpaste (at least one of those times)—especially after eating ANY (VEGAN) SWEETS, floss a few times a week (we’re all trying to get better at it….), and I really want to say eating plant-based since I am naturally eating fruits/veggies/roots that already naturally contain fluoride!

What can be done about the Water?!

I have a bunch of tips coming up for you next blog with how to easily test your water & a review of the different types of water sold at stores…

Works Cited:

https://www.epa.gov/dwreginfo/chemical-contaminant-rules#:~:text=Arsenic%20has%20been%20linked%20to,standard%20by%20January%2023%2C%202006.

https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/contaminants

https://www.epa.gov/ccl/definition-contaminant#:~:text=Breadcrumb,water%20poses%20a%20health%20risk.

Fluoride Exposure: Neurodevelopment and Cognition

The Story of Fluoridation | National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

Lead Free DC | DC Water

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