Nuclear plant to supply fluoride for water
The Sunday Independent - June 29, 2002By Tony Carnie
The Pelindaba nuclear and chemical complex is to become the major supplier of fluoride, which will be added to drinking water throughout the country from next year. The complex was set up by the apartheid government in the1960s to produce atomic bombs and enriched uranium fuel.
In terms of health department regulations, water suppliers will be compelled to add fluoride to tap water in a bid to reduce tooth decay.
In its concentrated form, fluoride is highly toxic but it has been added in diluted form to the drinking water of many Americans for 50 years to harden tooth enamel.
However, most European countries do not allow the fluoridation of water because of mounting evidence that it may do more harm than good to human health.
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