Bottled water may contain uranium - according to the FDA
In a little noticed announcement, the FDA has, on 9 June 2003, confirmed an amendment to purity rules for bottled water. From the effective date of 8 December 2003, the presence of Uranium in bottled water will not be a problem, if the uranium content is below 30 parts per billion.
While I do not know whether such an amount of - presumably radioactive - uranium may cause health damage, I do believe that the FDA's decision merits attention by a wider circle of readers and discussion by independent experts.
It has been alleged that fluoridation by some communities around the world is one of the ways uranium gets into drinking water because the fluorosilicates added to the water supply are contaminated with uranium and other poisonous heavy metals.
URANIUM LEVELS IN BOTTLED WATER OK'D BY FDA
Comment: This news of the FDA "confirming" an amendment to allow uranium in new bottled water quality standards was just announced. An allowable level (MCL) of uranium at 30 ppb (parts per billion) is now official, according to this. The effective date for the affected bottled water firms shall be December 8, 2003. Of particular interest also is the statement: since the "FDA received no significant adverse comments within the comment period" that ended May 2, 2003, this water quality final ruling is now "confirmed." One of the more important among other questions is: from this clearly permissive federal gov't attitude, is this now reasonable evidence that any presence of U in municipal fluoridation substances is also FDA-allowable?
http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/03-14477.htmFederal Register: June 9, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 110)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 34272-34273]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09jn03-2]-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Food and Drug Administration
21 CFR Part 165
[Docket No. 03N-0068]
Beverages: Bottled Water; Confirmation of Effective DateAGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.
ACTION: Direct final rule; confirmation of effective date.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is confirming the effective date of December 8, 2003, for the direct final rule that appeared in the Federal Register of March 3, 2003 (68 FR 9873). The direct final rule amends the bottled water quality standards regulations by establishing an allowable level for uranium. This document confirms the effective date of the direct final rule.
DATES: Effective date confirmed: December 8, 2003.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul South, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (HFS-306), Food and Drug Administration, 5100 Paint Branch Pkwy., College Park, MD 20740-3835, 301-436-1640.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the Federal Register of March 3, 2003 (68 FR 9873), FDA published a direct final rule that amends the bottled water quality standards regulations (21 CFR part 165) by establishing an allowable level for uranium. Interested persons were given until May 2, 2003, to comment on the direct final rule. FDA stated that the effective date of the direct final rule would be December 8, 2003, and, if the agency received no significant adverse comments, it would publish a notice of confirmation of the effective date no later than June 11, 2003. FDA received no significant adverse comments within the comment period. Therefore, FDA is confirming that the effective date of the direct final rule is December 8, 2003. As noted in the direct final rule, FDA is publishing this confirmation document 180 days before the effective date to permit affected firms adequate time to take appropriate steps to bring their bottled water products into compliance with the quality standard imposed by the new rule.
Dated: June 2, 2003.
Jeffrey Shuren,
Assistant Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 03-14477 Filed 6-6-03; 8:45 am]
News found at: www.SafeDrinkingWater.com June 11, 2003 newsletter
posted by Sepp Hasslberger on Wednesday June 11 2003
updated on Tuesday December 21 2010URL of this article:
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2003/06/11/bottled_water_may_contain_uranium_according_to_the_fda.htm
