It has been added to municipal water for decades, but a federal judge in California has ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to further regulate fluoride because high levels could pose “an unreasonable risk” to the intellectual development of children.

U.S. District Judge Edward Chen ruled Tuesday that the scientific evidence of fluoride’s health risks when ingested at current prescribed levels requires stricter regulation under the 2016 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The act provides a legal pathway for citizens to petition the EPA to consider whether an industrial chemical presents health risks.

Chen, in his 80-page ruling, wrote there is “little dispute” over whether fluoride is hazardous and ordered the EPA to take steps to lower that risk, but didn’t say what those measures should be.

“Indeed, EPA’s own expert agrees that fluoride is hazardous at some level of exposure,” the judge said. “And ample evidence establishes that a mother’s exposure to fluoride during pregnancy is associated with IQ decrements in her offspring.”

FLUORIDE IN WATER LINKED TO LOWER INTELLIGENCE

“Between 1981 and 1984, fluoride’s association with adverse effects including osteosclerosis, enamel fluorosis, and psychological and behavioral problems was contested,” Chen said.

At the same time, he wrote that the court’s finding “does not conclude with certainty that fluoridated water is injurious to public health,” Chen said. “Rather, as required by the Amended TSCA, the Court finds there is an unreasonable risk of such injury, a risk sufficient to require the EPA to engage with a regulatory response.

“This order does not dictate precisely what that response must be. Amended TSCA leaves that decision in the first instance to the EPA. One thing the EPA cannot do, however, in the face of this Court’s finding, is to ignore that risk,” Chen added. 

“If the Court finds anew that the chemical at issue presents an unreasonable risk, it then orders the EPA to engage in rulemaking regarding the chemical,” the judge said. “The EPA is afforded in the first instance the authority to respond; regulatory actions can range from requiring a mere warning label to banning the chemical.”

An EPA spokesperson, Jeff Landis, told The Associated Press that the agency was reviewing the decision but offered no further comment.

It’s the first time a federal judge has made a determination about the neurodevelopmental risks to children of the recommended U.S. water fluoride level, said Ashley Malin, a University of Florida researcher who has studied the effect of higher fluoride levels in pregnant women.

She called it “the most historic ruling in the U.S. fluoridation debate that we’ve ever seen.”

Currently, more than 200 million Americans, or about 75 percent of the population, drink fluoridated water.

Fluoride is added to many brands of toothpaste (iStock)

DOES FLUORIDE IN DRINKING WATER HURT YOUR BRAIN?

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In 1950, federal officials endorsed water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay, and they continued to promote it even after fluoride toothpaste brands hit the market several years later. In 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan became the first city in the world to fluoridate its water supply. 

Critics have long said that washing teeth with fluoride is not comparable to the risks posed by ingesting fluoride, with the latter potentially triggering harmful neurotoxic effects. 

Since 2015, federal health officials have recommended a fluoridation level of 0.7 milligrams per liter of water. For five decades before that, the recommended upper range was 1.2 “after evidence increasingly established fluoride’s connection to adverse effects, including severe enamel fluorosis, risk of bone fracture, and potential skeletal fluorosis,” the judge wrote. Skeletal fluorosis is a potentially crippling disorder which causes weaker bones, stiffness and pain.

The World Health Organization has set a safe limit for fluoride in drinking water of 1.5. Separately, the EPA has a longstanding requirement that water systems cannot have more than 4 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water. 

The case was brought by Food and Water Watch, an advocacy organization which petitioned the EPA to investigate lowered IQs in children allegedly caused by fluoride. The EPA denied the group’s 2016 petition calling for the agency to ban or limit the fluoridation of drinking water. 

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Food & Water Watch and several co-petitioners subsequently sued the EPA to compel action citing the mounting scientific evidence of toxicity when fluoride is ingested.

“Today’s ruling represents an important acknowledgment of a large and growing body of science indicating serious human health risks associated with fluoridated drinking water,” the group said in a statement.

A water utility foreman at a plant where fluoride is added to the drinking water in Healdsburg, California. (Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

“This court looked at the science and acted accordingly. Now the EPA must respond by implementing new regulations that adequately protect all Americans – especially our most vulnerable infants and children – from this known health threat.”

Tuesday’s ruling cited a review of 72 human epidemiological studies and available literature by the U.S. National Toxicology Program which concluded that fluoride is connected to reduced IQ in children.

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“Notwithstanding recognition by EPA’s expert that fluoride is hazardous, the EPA points to technicalities at various steps of the risk evaluation to conclude that fluoride does not present an unreasonable risk,” Chen said. “Primarily, the EPA argues the hazard level and the precise relationship between dosage and response at lower exposure levels are not entirely clear. These arguments are not persuasive.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

READ THE RULING BELOW — APP USERS CLICK HERE: 

Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.

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You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.

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How much sleep is enough sleep? 

It depends on multiple factors. One of the biggest is age. 

In general, as you age, less sleep is required. While that may be true, the amount of sleep people need is an individualized experience, and not everyone requires the same amount of rest to properly function throughout the day. 

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How much sleep a person needs may also not be consistent. For example, if you have a poor night’s sleep one night, you may require more hours of rest the next. 

Pregnancy can also affect sleep. Pregnancy can affect quality sleep through physical discomfort, hormone shifts and anxiety, according to the Sleep Foundation. 

While there are a number of factors that play into a good night’s sleep, here are some general guidelines for how much sleep different generations should get and tips for sleeping soundly. 

1. Newborns
2. Toddlers
3. Children
4. Teenagers
5. Adults

1. Newborns

Newborns require a lot of sleep. A newborn’s sleep schedule requires flexibility from parents because their hours of slumber are often far from consistent. 

In general, newborns up to the age of 3 months need between 14 and 17 hours of sleep a day, according to the National Sleep Foundation. This includes naps throughout the day. 

Infants from 4 to 11 months old still need between 12 and 15 hours every day. 

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Newborns only sleep for an hour or two at a time, so establishing a schedule can be tricky. 

Even though it will take time to establish a steady routine with your baby, it’s never too soon to start incorporating healthy habits. 

Newborns need a lot of sleep, but they only rest for short periods at a time.  (iStock)

For example, establishing a calming routine, putting babies to bed once they begin to get drowsy and giving them time to settle down all contribute to good sleep, according to Mayo Clinic. 

Also, remember it’s never too early to begin reading to your baby — which can also become a bedtime routine staple. 

2. Toddlers

Toddlers need between 11 and 14 hours of sleep every night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. 

6 EXPERT TIPS FOR FIRST-TIME MOMS DURING THE INITIAL FEW MONTHS OF MOTHERHOOD THAT ARE CRITICAL TO HEALTH

At this age, you can really start to establish a bedtime routine with your child through actions like picking out pajamas, brushing teeth and reading a book together. 

The time that toddlers go to bed varies for families, but anywhere from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. is a good time to begin thinking about getting to bed, according to Parents.com.

Read a book with your child to help create a calm, relaxing setting before bed.  (iStock)

3. Children

Children between 3 and 5 years old should get 10 to 13 hours of sleep per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation — while kids 6 to 13 years old should get nine to 11 hours of sleep every night. 

Starting school will help children establish a daily routine. 

When kids start school, it’s important to ensure they get to bed at an hour that allows them to get proper sleep before a busy day of learning. 

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For school-age children, a bedtime between 7:15 p.m. and 9 p.m. is generally a good idea, per Parents.com. 

4. Teenagers

Teenagers don’t need as much sleep as children do. 

For teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17, eight to 10 hours of sleep is ideal, according to the National Sleep Foundation. 

Many teenagers are busy with extracurricular activities during the school year, which can affect their sleep. 

It’s important for teens to try to stick to a consistent bedtime routine, going to sleep and waking up around the same time every day.  (iStock)

They could be eating dinner later than normal or may spend time before bed scrolling through their phones, preventing them from getting good sleep. 

Trying to limit screen time and going to bed around the same time on a nightly basis can help teenagers get optimal sleep. 

5. Adults

Adults need the least sleep of any age group. 

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Adults between ages 18 and 64 should get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night, according to the National Sleep Foundation’s guidance, while those over 65 should get between seven and eight hours of sleep. 

If you’re having trouble falling asleep, try to adjust your bedtime routine to include relaxing activities, like listening to calming music or reading a book. 

Also, “white noise” could help you to fall asleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. 

A dark, cool room can contribute to a good night’s sleep.  (iStock)

You can get “white noise” through a fan or by using a sound machine or a noise app on your phone. 

A cool room is another contributor to quality sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation, with an ideal temperature of between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. 

You can also limit caffeine intake and meals too close to bedtime to prepare your body for a restful sleep.