concluded that there is no “credible evidence” that water fluoridation has any quantifiable effect on the solubility, bioavailability, or bioaccumulation of any form of lead.
Another issue that has been raised about differential effects of silicofluorides comes from the dissertation of Westendorf (1975). In that study, silicofluorides were found to have greater power to inhibit the synthesis of cholinesterases, including acetylcholinesterase, than sodium fluoride (NaF). For example, under physiological conditions, one molar equivalent of silicofluoride is more potent in inhibiting acetylcholinesterase than six molar equivalents of NaF (Knappwost and Westendorf 1974). This could produce a situation in which acetylcholine (ACh) accumulates in the vicinity of ACh terminals and leads to excessive activation of cholinergic receptors in the central and peripheral nervous system. At high concentrations, agents with this capability are frequently used in insecticides and nerve gases. At intermediate concentrations, choking sensations and blurred vision are often encountered. Modifications of the effectiveness of the acetylcholinergic systems of the nervous system could account for the fact that, even though native intelligence per se may not be altered by chronic ingestion of water with fluoride ranging from 1.2 to 3 mg/L, reaction times and visuospatial abilities can be impaired. These changes would act to reduce the tested IQ scores. Such noncognitive impairments in children were reported in a meeting abstract (Calderon et al. 2000), but a full publication has not been issued. Extended reaction times have been associated with impaired function of the prefrontal lobes, a behavioral change not directly tied to alterations in IQ (Winterer and Goldman 2003). Because almost all IQ tests are “time-restricted,” slow reaction times would impair measured performance.
An interesting set of calculations was made by Urbansky and Schock (undated)—namely, compilation of the binding strengths of various elements with fluorine. They studied eight different complexes. Aluminum and fluorine have the highest binding affinity. Fluorine also forms complexes with other elements including sodium, iron, calcium, magnesium, copper, and hydrogen. Associations with some of these other elements may have implications for some of the neurotoxic effects noted after fluoride or SiF exposure.
For more than 30 years it has been known that Alzheimer’s disease is associated with a substantial decline in cerebral metabolism (Sokoloff 1966). This original observation has been replicated many times since then. The decrease is reflected in the brain’s metabolic rate for glucose, cerebral rate for oxygen, and cerebral blood flow. In terms of reduced cerebral blood flow, the reduction found in Alzheimer’s patients is about three times