A risk assessor for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency admitted fluoride is neurotoxic at relatively low levels and the agency’s key expert on fluoride’s neurotoxicity conceded flaws in his own study as the landmark fluoride trial drew to a close.
A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) risk assessor admitted fluoride is neurotoxic at relatively low levels and the agency’s key expert witness on fluoride’s neurotoxicity conceded flaws in his own study as the landmark fluoride trial drew to a close on Tuesday.
Stanley Barone, Ph.D., a risk assessment scientist, was the EPA’s second and final in-person witness in nine days of testimony before federal Judge Edward Chen in San Francisco.
The trial began in 2020 but was put on hold pending the publication of the National Toxicology Program’s (NTP) report informing the case. It resumed on Jan. 31.
Attorneys deposed Jesús Ibarluzea, Ph.D., lead author of the Spanish INMA cohort study, a key piece of EPA’s evidence, in November 2023. However, he withdrew from further participation in the trial, including not making himself available to testify via Zoom.
Instead, attorneys from both sides edited key parts of his deposition for the court and scheduled the video for public screening during the trial. EPA attorneys moved for the judge to watch it privately, in the interest of speeding along the trial process, they said.
This article originated at childrenshealthdefense.org and can be viewed in its entirety here.
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