Perchlorate in Baby Formulas

[tcmgpt13]

More good news from the baby formula front. I have been aware of the problems of perchlorate in foods such as salads and spinach from California for some time now, as this was a big topic on a thyroid forum. This is the first time I have read about it in baby formula, but I am hardly surprised. The hand wringing now, the well, where did this come from are ludicrous. The government has been aware for years that rocket fuel was leaching into water supplies near bases and other places which handle this fuel. If they do not know how harmful perchlorate is to children who are just born then they cannot know that iodine which is in the formula will protect the baby. I will try to locate some of the articles about how bad this is for the thyroid. Then they wonder why the rates of thyroid disease are increasing. Big mystery here. Why let's spend at least a few millions on yet another government study.

CDC: Rocket fuel chemical found in baby formula

"CDC: Rocket fuel chemical found in baby formula

By MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer Mike Stobbe, Ap Medical Writer – 1 hr 19 mins ago
ATLANTA – Traces of a chemical used in rocket fuel were found in samples of powdered baby formula, and could exceed what's considered a safe dose for adults if mixed with water also contaminated with the ingredient, a government study has found.
The study by scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked for the chemical, perchlorate, in different brands of powdered baby formula. It was published last month, but the Environmental Working Group issued a press release Thursday drawing attention to it.
The chemical has turned up in several cities' drinking water supplies. It can occur naturally, but most perchlorate contamination has been tied to defense and aerospace sites.
No tests have ever shown the chemical caused health problems, but scientists have said significant amounts of perchlorate can affect thyroid function. The thyroid helps set the body's metabolism. Thyroid problems can impact fetal and infant brain development.
However, the extent of the risk is hard to assess. The government requires that formula contain iodine, which counteracts perchlorate's effects. The size of the infant and how much formula they consume are other factors that can influence risk.
The study itself sheds little light on how dangerous the perchlorate in baby formula is. "This wasn't a study of health effects," said Dr. Joshua Schier, one of the authors.
The largest amounts of the chemical were in formulas derived from cow's milk, the study said.
The researchers would not disclose the brands of formula they studied. Only a few samples were studied, so it's hard to know if the perchlorate levels would be found in all containers of those brands, a CDC spokesman said.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it was considering setting new limits on the amount of perchlorate that would be acceptable in drinking water. A few states have already set their own limits.
The EPA has checked nearly 4,000 public water supplies serving 10,000 people or more. About 160 of the water systems had detectable levels of perchlorate, and 31 had levels high enough to exceed a new safety level the EPA is considering."

Most are already aware of the melamine also found in US baby formula but just in case here is a link to an article about that:

Melamine traces found in samples of U.S. infant formula: Scientific American Blog

More articles from thyroid.about.com follow in the next posts.

[tcmgpt13]

These articles are too long to post, but I will provide the links to make it easier to read them if interested in more information:

Perchlorate and the Thyroid: Deconstructing A Questionable Industry-Funded Study

Here's an article from 1999 which discusses how the Air Force refused to release information about the danger of perchlorate in foods and water:

Perchlorate Contamination and Thyroid Disease - Thyroid Disease - 06/19/99

Just one paragraph from this article:

Ladd says, "the Air Force believes that the rate of accumulation of perchlorate in fruits and vegetables like lettuce and citrus is information too sensitive for public consumption, at least until the toxicological review is completed."

More on this 1998:

About.com: http://www.ZeroWasteAmerica.org/Perchlorate.htm

n 1997, the American Water Works Service Company (AWWSC), parent of the Pennsylvania Water Company, tested for perchlorate. According to EPA’s webpage for Perchlorate, "Ammonium perchlorate is manufactured as an oxidizer component in solid propellant for rockets, missiles, and fireworks. The concerns surrounding perchlorate contamination involves its ability to inhibit iodide anion uptake by the thyroid. This results in decreased thyroid hormone production which can affect metabolism, growth, and development ..(it) is exceedingly mobile in aqueous systems and can persist for many decades under typical groundwater and surface water conditions." Of AWWSC’s four hundred wells across the country, 10 tested positive for perchlorate contamination, including Well # 9 in Lower Makefield Township. The well is located a few yards from the company’s water tower.
It appears the water company did not bring the contamination to the attention of local, county, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP), or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials in the Philadelphia office. An activist from California brought it to the attention of ZWA’s Director and local resident, Lynn Landes, who contacted officials.
Landes was stunned by their reaction. They informed her that they will make no plans to notify the public, or private well owners, nor conduct testing of private wells, the contaminated well, or a nearby closed dump with a history of leaking contamination. Township officials are still gathering information.
"It appears that the county, state, and federal regulatory officials have adopted a "Don’t Test, Don’t Tell" policy," says Landes.
Currently, the EPA does not require states to test for perchlorate, nor has the agency set a "maximum contaminant level" (MCL), a federal designation that allows a set level of contamination in drinking water. The often arbitrary nature of MCL’s concerns many health and environmental activists. Groundwater remediation technologies for perchlorate have recently been developed.
Perchlorate has been found in 13 states. Large volumes were disposed in Nevada, California, and Utah since the 1950s. As a result of widespread contamination, the federal Interagency Perchlorate Steering Committee was formed in January 1998.
Contact: Lynn Landes, ZWA, 215-629-3553 / lynnlandes@earthlink.net
Perchlorate, Larry Ladd

Will post additional articles next reply.

[tcmgpt13]

How perchlorate has become pervasive in the water supplies in many states. Just a few paragraphs from this article:

Perchlorate in Your Drinking Water: How much is too much and who is at risk?

"It is important, especially for those at risk, to be aware that drinking water is not the only potential source of perchlorate in the diet. Beef, lettuce, milk, berries, and other agricultural products may contain perchlorate.

The source of perchlorate of drinking water at many sites, including many of those in California, is the defense industry and the past production of solid rocket propellants using perchlorate. Poor disposal practices, industrial accidents, and agricultural fertilizers are suspected as the sources of contamination of drinking water by perchlorate. Perchlorate has been detected in the public drinking water in at least 22 states. Produce grown in those states that is irrigated by contaminated water has reached around the nation.

Defense contractors -- including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Aerojet, Kerr-McGee, and McDonnell Douglas -- had opposed California’s regulatory action in the fear that the standard would be too strict. Such action may force expensive cleanups, which these companies may be forced to finance. Clean up of the Colorado River alone, for example, will cost billions, in order to reduce the perchlorate concentrations in this source of drinking water for 15 million Californians."

Number of states increases from the 22 states mentioned in the above article to 36 in 2005:

36 States Face Perchlorate Contamination

"According to an Associated Press report, 36 states are facing the growing threat from perchlorate contamination. Perchlorate is a chemical that is used in rocket fuel, fireworks and defense manufacturing that has contaminated water supplies in areas around the country, and, through irrigation, produce grown in those areas and sold around the nation. High levels of perchlorate are associated with thyroid disease, and the possibility of cancer an dother health problems.

Since typical filtering and purification techniques don't work on perchlorate, getting rid of the nation's perchlorate will require costly techniques and equipment. It's estimated that thge Pentagon could face billions of dollars in cleanup costs, as they are the source of much of the contamination, along with several manufacturers.

Before 1997, perchlorate was not on the national radar. It was at that time that tests were developed to detect lower levels of perchlorate. At the same time, efforts of advocates such as Larry Ladd started to gain ground in capturing attention about the potential dangers of this contaminant.
In February of 2005, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a safety standard indicating that perchlorate levels of less than 24.5 parts per billion (ppb) are considered safe. That recommendation contradicted California's target level of 6 ppb, and the EPA's own original standard of 1 ppb. The Pentagon has gone on record as favoring 200 ppb as the target safely level."

[Katinka]

You know TCM,
every time I read such articles makes me think of that film "Erin Brocowich" with Julia Roberts.
People are dying of cancer and all sorts of novel diseases and the all big companies are busy in "cover-ups". It's all about BIG MONEY.
This makes me sick and terribly worried about the future of our kids and grandkids.

This makes me contemplative:

.....information too sensitive for public consumption, at least until the toxicological review is completed.....

I bet THAT IS the problem of the CDC according Morgellons Disease. They need to "figure" out a plausible explanation.

Katinka

[carla]

The Government know exactly where this stuff comes from TC because they put it in.
Think of Flouride(industrial toxic waste),Aspartame,(biological weapon),cancer causing chemicals in baby shampoo etc.Not to mention chemtrails .
The list is endless.