THURSDAY, May 1, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Florida state lawmakers have approved a bill to ban the addition of fluoride to public drinking water, a move that public health experts say could harm dental health across the state.

The bill now heads to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for approval. DeSantis has criticized fluoridation in the past, calling...

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he will tell the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water across the country.

He also announced plans to form a special task force to focus on health risks of fluoride.

Kennedy made the comments Monday du...

Utah may become the first state in the U.S. to ban fluoride in public water statewide, a move that would override local decisions on whether to add the cavity-fighting mineral to drinking water.

The bill now awaits the signature of Gov. Spencer Cox, who has not said whether he will approve the measure, The Associated Press reported.

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More than 20% of people in the continental United States might have drinking water contaminated with “forever chemicals,” a new study suggests.

Between 75 and 95 million Americans rely on groundwater that contains detectible concentrations of these chemicals, known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated in the Oct. 24 issue...

PFAS “forever chemicals” can be found in drinking water around the world, whether it comes from a tap or a bottle, a new study warns.

Ten specific PFAS chemicals were found in samples of bottled and tap water sourced from 15 countries around the world, researchers report.

For example, the chemicals PFOA and PFOS were detected in more than 99% of bottled water samples tes...

Following the historic destruction of Hurricane Helene, many Americans must now return to their mangled homes and begin the heartbreaking task of clean-up.

After making landfall in Florida near Tallahassee as a ferocious Cat 4 storm on Thursday, Helene caused record-breaking storm surges in Tampa, flash flooding in Atlanta and power outages, massive flooding and mud slides in the mountai...

High levels of fluoride in drinking water may dim the intelligence of children, a new U.S. government report shows.

Based on an analysis of published research, the potentially controversial report marks the first time a federal agency has determined there is a link between drinking twice the reco...

Fetal exposure to fluoride from a mom-to-be's drinking water might raise the odds for physical and mental health issues in toddlers, new research suggests.

The study, which was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, wasn't designed to prove cause-and-effect. However, researchers believe the findings are worth investigating further.

"This is the first U.S.-based study to...

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that it has finalized a first-ever rule that will drastically lower the amount of PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," in the nation's drinking water.

"Drinking water contaminated with PFAS has plagued communities across this country for too long," EPA Administrator Mi...

As waters warm across the United States and hurricanes and flooding season begins, the odds of being infected by flesh-eating bacteria are also rising, U.S. health officials warn.

According to a Sept. 1 health alert from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a dozen types of the bacteria called <...

The Biden administration on Monday awarded $58 million in grants to help schools and daycare centers remove lead from drinking water.

The announcement came during an event in Boston.

"I am excited to join local leaders in Boston to announce $58 million in grant funding that can be used to test for lead in drinking water, identify potential sources, and remove those sour...

Under the surface of your favorite swimming pool, beach and lakes, hazards too small to be seen by the naked eye may await.

And these bacteria, viruses and parasites can turn a refreshing plunge into a nasty infection.

"There's a variety of microorganisms that can make recreational activities in water less than fun,"said

Drowning is the leading cause of death among children aged 1 to 4 years old in the United States, and too many older children continue to die in the water, according to a new report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

A child can slip underwater in the seconds it takes a parent to send a text message. Or while a caregiver turns away to pick up a smartphone.

"Th...

Summer is here and so, too, is swimming season.

As fun as a pool can be, it's also a major safety risk if you don't take the appropriate precautions.

An expert from Huntington Health, an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, offers some tips for a safe pool season.

"If children or non-experienced swimmers will be in the pool, it's very important to have adult supervisio...

A potentially deadly germ has made its way to the U.S. Gulf Coast, health officials warned this week.

So far, three cases of infection from the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei have been reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bacteria causes melioidosis, which can be fatal if left untreated.

"It is an environmental organism that lives natural...

Be cautious when heading to Florida's beaches this summer, an expert warned, as a 5,000-mile floating mass of sargassum seaweed has begun washing up on the state's shores.

It can be low risk in some instances, but it also has the potential for triggering serious respiratory health issues.

"The sargassum itself is not dangerous. It can have different jellyfish and sea creatures in ...

Black and Hispanic communities in the United States are more often poor -- and also more likely to have harmful levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in their drinking water, a new study reveals.

Sources of PFAS pollution -- including major manufacturers, airports, military bases, wastewater treatment plants and landfills -- are disproportionately sited near watersheds that...

Drowning isn't always accompanied by the stereotypical flailing and cries for help.

It can happen wherever there's water, including streams, lakes, water parks, bathtubs and even toilets.

It's also often preventable, according to an expert from Penn State Health, who offered tips for parents as water recreation season begins.

"A child can drown in less than 2 inches of water,"...

Global warming is fostering the spread of a deadly flesh-eating bacteria along the northeastern coast of the United States, researchers report.

Vibrio vulnificus bacteria grow in warm shallow coastal waters and can infect a person via a cut or insect bite during contact with seawater. The bacteria is found as far north as Philadelphia and is spreading even further north as ocean...

U.S. water utilities will be required to remove certain "forever chemicals"from drinking water as the Biden administration sets first-ever limits on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds, better known as known as PFAS.

Nearly all Americans have PFAS in their bloodstream. The toxic chemicals are found in an enormous range of goods from dental floss to waterproof clothing. The chemic...

Researchers studying well water found current monitoring practices often fail to reflect actual groundwater pollution risks.

The problem: Spikes in harmful bacteria, like those from animal and human waste, vary depending on the season. They may be higher at times when testing is less likely to be done.

"This is concerning because many residents and homeowners across the country, inc...

It's a little safer to get into the water: Unprovoked shark attacks dropped to a 10-year low worldwide in 2022, shark watchers say.

A total of 57 unprovoked bites occurred in 2022, tying with 2020 for the fewest number of reported incidents during the last 10 years, according to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File.

Of those attacks, five were fatal -- do...

U.S. communities with higher Hispanic, American Indian or Black populations also have the highest concentrations of metal in public water systems, new research reveals.

Researchers from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City found significantly higher arsenic and uranium levels in public drinking water in Hispanic and American Indian/Alaska Native communities...

Black children and teens drown in swimming pools at rates seven times higher than white children, but a new survey suggests that special swimming programs could make a difference and help save lives.

The survey, from the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, found that only 25% of Hispanic parents and 28% of Black parents were comfortable with their own swimming ski...

Splash pads -- those shallow pools of wet, cooling summertime fun for kids -- can also be sources of nasty gastro infections for youngsters who swallow water during their play.

That's the take-home lesson from a new analysis of outbreaks of two bacterial illnesses, shigellosis and