Fluoride: Assessment for Developmental Neurotoxicity

Topic Overview
Background Information
The National Toxicology Program (NTP) conducted a systematic review of the scientific research on fluoride exposure and neurodevelopmental and cognitive health effects in humans. The report underwent two peer reviews by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Both times, the NASEM committee stated that NTP had not adequately supported its conclusions that fluoride should be classified as a cognitive neurodevelopmental hazard for humans.
Based on the NASEM review, the NTP removed the hazard classification of fluoride and made additional changes, resulting in two draft documents, 1) an NTP Monograph on the State of the Science that considered research published through May 2020, and 2) a manuscript on the meta-analysis of the data that considered research published through November 2021.
In May 2022, NTP Director Rick Woychik, Ph.D., decided to delay publication of the monograph and tasked the NTP Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC) to conduct a scientific review of NTP’s responses to 325 comments and criticisms on the monograph received from external peer reviewers and federal agency experts. The BSC had already been tasked with reviewing NTP’s responses to 141 comments received on the meta-analysis manuscript. A Working Group of the BSC was convened to assist with the scientific review.
In a public meeting on May 4, 2023, the Working Group presented its report to the BSC. The Working Group report recommended 93 revisions to the monograph and 81 revisions to the meta-analysis manuscript. Most of the revisions were recommended to address scientific issues, insufficiency of information, lack of precision in the text, and additional research needs.
After deliberations and discussion, the BSC voted to accept the Working Group report in full, with the condition that the Working Group verifies or corrects the text related to an I.Q. statistic on page 323 of the report. The Working Group corrected the text, and the BSC accepted the Working Group report at a meeting on May 16, 2023.
The BSC transmitted the Final Working Group Report to Dr. Woychik for his consideration.
Dr. Woychik will make a final decision regarding the BSC recommendations and publication of the NTP Monograph on the State of the Science and meta-analysis manuscript.
Documents
Meetings & Events
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May 04, 2023 | Board of Scientific Counselors Meeting |
Board of Scientific Counselors |
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Oct 19, 2020 | Peer Review of the Revised NTP Monograph on Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Health Effects by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine |
Expert Panels - Other Panels |
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Nov 06, 2019 | Peer Review of the Draft NTP Monograph on Systematic Review of Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Health Effects by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine |
Expert Panels - Other Panels |
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Dec 01, 2015 | NTP Board of Scientific Counselors Meeting |
Board of Scientific Counselors |
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May 16, 2023 | Board of Scientific Counselors Meeting |
Board of Scientific Counselors |
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