Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 October 2013
422. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if his Department ever made a complete analysis of the chemical used for water fluoridation; if he will make all the findings available to this Deputy; and if his Department ever submitted each contaminant to a 95% upper confidence level analysis. [43381/13]
View answer423. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if his Department ever changed their supplier of fluoride; and if so, the reason there was a new supplier sought. [43382/13]
View answerThe HSE takes samples for the analysis of hydrofluorosilicic acid (HFSA), the chemical used for water fluoridation and all its concentrations. The analysis of these samples is undertaken by the Public Analyst's Laboratory Dublin. The level of heavy metal contaminants has been well below the Limit of Quantitation so the issue of compliance of a heavy metal result (+/- a confidence interval) with the specification has not arisen. Reports of these analyses are available on request from the HSE.
Since the introduction of water fluoridation in the 1960s there have been changes in suppliers of fluoride to health authorities in accordance with the relevant procurement procedures. Chemifloc Ltd. is the company currently contracted by the HSE for the supply and delivery of HFSA for the purpose of water fluoridation.
