For decades, millions of Americans have been unknowingly exposed to water contaminated with perchlorate – the main component of rocket fuel and a powerful toxin that interferes with thyroid function. To date, the chemical has been detected in drinking water in 45 states, including Nevada, California and Utah where large volumes of perchlorate have been dumped since the 1950s. About 20 million people living by the Colorado River are affected as a result of rocket fuel release from two military facilities.

Perchlorate’s Source of Contamination?

The U.S. Military Defense has been using perchlorate since the early 1900s. The chemical is the main component of rocket and missile fuel, is used in explosive materials, and very often perchlorate contamination has been recorded near chemical plants and military facilities.

The full scale of contamination is yet unknown, but it is worth mentioning that there are 12,000 military sites across the U.S. where trainings with live explosives have been taking place. In one such facility - in Henderson, Nevada, the recorded level of perchlorate was 30,000 higher than the country’s average. However, in many other cases the source of perchlorate pollution remains unclear.

Can Perchlorate Affect Human Health?

The safe perchlorate level recommended by the EPA is 0.7 micrograms of the chemical per kilogram of body weight per day. However, this is regarded by experts as inadequate to protect public health. Researchers from The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia have noted that exposure to even minimal doses of perchlorate has an affect on thyroid function and can disrupt the body's metabolism.

According to independent consultant Dr. Laura Power, perchlorate can cause numerous health problems, such as thyroid cancer, hypothyroidism, goiter, immune system dysfunctions, breast diseases and disruption of the menstrual cycle. Pregnant women are advised to be particularly careful and pay attention to the quality of water they drink, as it has been scientifically proven that perchlorate can cause mental retardation, loss of speech as well as hearing and motor skills deficits in fetuses.

Babies and Toddlers are Particularly Vulnerable

Perchlorate does not accumulate in the human body, but it is still unsure if it can build up in breast milk (it has been found in breast milk of women in 18 states). It may come as a surprise, but perchlorate has even been found in baby powdered milk formula with CDC scientists reporting in 2009 that 15 brands were selling contaminated products. The researchers warn that mixing perchlorate-contaminated formula with any water containing the chemical may boost the toxin level above the safety limit. Even small differences in thyroid hormones during the first few weeks of life can have major lifetime consequences, including brain development and mental abilities, and this is where primary concerns lie.

Perchlorate has also been found in other commonly consumed food and beverages and while the source of the toxin in foods remains unclear; some are identified to originate from contaminated irrigation water. These products combined with perchlorate contaminated tap water has the potential to put millions of children at risk. Two-year olds can be particularly exposed as they start to consume adult food in substantial amounts.

Is Perchlorate in Drinking Water Subject to Any Regulations?

Under the Bush administration, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared that rocket fuel posed no risk to human health and therefore it did not need to be regulated. This statement caused outrage and triggered protests from consumers, health experts, scientists and other health advocate groups.

Currently however, the EPA is in the process of developing a national primary drinking water regulation for perchlorate. Unfortunately, this action does not in itself impose any requirements on public water systems and it may be some time before tany public protective measure gets initiated and enforced. It should also be known that there is also no requirement for testing bottled drinking water for perchlorate. A couple of states, Massachusetts and California, are being more proactive and have set their own limits for the acceptable chemical level in drinking water - 2 parts per billion (ppb) and 6ppb respectively.

Can I Avoid Drinking Rocket Fuel?

The answer to what is the safe level of perchlorate in drinking water remains very unclear. Until more scientific information emerges, it may be worth protecting yourself and your family against any possible harmful consequences of drinking the contaminant.

Cooking or even boiling tap water will not help as this chemical has shown to be more difficult to remove than others. The following types of treatment will be most appropriate for the treatment of perchlorate at the levels found in drinking water: ion (anion) exchange, membrane technology, and potentially high quality gravity filter systems and whole house carbon adsorption.

Note: To date, the black berkey water filters have not been tested for perchlorate removal, so we cannot comment as to their effectiveness in this regard.