Introduction to Percholate
As we strive to live healthier, more holistic lifestyles, it’s alarming to learn that a dangerous chemical, perchlorate—primarily used in rocket fuel and explosives—has infiltrated our food supply. Despite decades of awareness, federal regulators have been slow to act, and big food manufacturers remain silent. Recent findings from Consumer Reports have shed more light on the extent of perchlorate contamination, adding urgency to the need for action. This post explores the origins of perchlorate contamination, the foods most affected, the health risks it poses, and the legal and governmental responses to this ongoing threat.
What Is Perchlorate?
Perchlorate is a chemical used in the manufacture of rocket fuel, fireworks, and fertilizers. It is a contaminant that has been found to be more bioavailable than most and, therefore, highly present in the environment due to its high water solubility. Given that it can disturb thyroid function, an important regulator of our metabolism and development, its ubiquity in our food supply is troubling.
How Perchlorate Enters Our Food Supply
Perchlorate contamination can occur through several pathways:
- Groundwater Pollution: Improper disposal and leaks at manufacturing and testing facilities have allowed perchlorate to seep into groundwater. This contaminated water can travel long distances, affecting both drinking water and irrigation sources used in agriculture .
- Contaminated Irrigation Water: Crops irrigated with perchlorate-contaminated water absorb the chemical, which then makes its way into the food supply .
- Food Packaging Materials: Shockingly, perchlorate is sometimes used as an additive in food packaging materials, where it can leach into food, particularly fatty or high-water-content products .
- Bleach Degradation: Bleach used in food processing and water treatment can degrade over time to produce perchlorate, which then contaminates the food or water being treated .
Foods That Are Most Affected by Perchlorate Contamination
Another recent study by Consumer Reports analyzed 196 food samples and found that over two-thirds of them had high levels of perchlorate. Importantly, they have identified particular food items that have high concentrations; in many cases these are consumed by families including infants and children.
Foods with the Highest Perchlorate Levels:
- Baby and Children’s Foods: The study found alarming levels of perchlorate in baby foods, which poses significant risks to developing children.
- Fresh Produce: Fruits and vegetables irrigated with contaminated water are directly affected, making even healthy eating potentially hazardous.
- Fast Food: Popular items like beef burritos, chicken sandwiches, and french fries were found to contain perchlorate.
- Boxed Macaroni and Cheese: This common comfort food, particularly loved by children, was found to have disturbing levels of perchlorate.
- Rice and Multigrain Cereals: These everyday staples were also found to contain high levels of perchlorate.
- Whole Milk Yogurt: Even dairy products like yogurt are not safe from perchlorate contamination.
Health Risks of Perchlorate Exposure
Perchlorate exposure can have serious health consequences as it interferes with thyroid function. The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate metabolism and also are associated with proper brain development in both children and fetuses. No single serving of a food may surpass safety limits, but the combined effect from all meals and snack that have just milligram levels or even microgram levels at time can overexpose certain critical populations like kids throughout their days.
Health Risks Include:
- Thyroid Disruption: Perchlorate inhibits the thyroid’s ability to absorb iodine, a critical nutrient for hormone production. This can lead to hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid does not produce enough hormones, affecting metabolism in adults and neurological development in children .
- Impact on Pregnancy and Fetal Development: Pregnant women and developing fetuses are particularly at risk, as thyroid hormones are essential for brain development. Perchlorate exposure during pregnancy could potentially lead to developmental delays and cognitive impairments in children .
Government Knowledge and Inaction
Although knowledge that perchlorate is entering our food supply has been around for decades, the federal regulators have taken forever to intervene. Although far less is known per pound about perchlorate and its effect on the human metabolism when compared to most substances we consume regularly in food, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has nevertheless placed it near very top of their list for regulation as a contaminant in drinking water while regulations that shoes too tight have yet been written defining legal limits anywhere else. The EPA is expected to establish limits for perchlorate in drinking water by November 2025, but this does not address contamination of food.
Government Knowledge and Response:
- Historical Awareness: Government agencies have known about perchlorate contamination for decades. The Department of Defense and NASA have been involved in cleanup efforts at contaminated sites, but these efforts have largely focused on environmental cleanup rather than food safety .
- Lack of Food Regulations: Despite the EPA’s planned regulations for drinking water, there is currently no federal regulation specifically addressing perchlorate in food. This regulatory gap leaves consumers unprotected and unaware of the potential risks associated with their daily diets .
Legal Battles Over Perchlorate Contamination
Many lawsuits have been filed against corporations and government agencies over perchlorate contamination. Those lawsuits have mostly targeted groundwater contamination and cleaning up polluted sites, but they highlight a larger societal question about how perchlorate has seeped into our environment — as well as the prerequisites of life itself in terms of inhabiting over three-fourths (71 percent) surface water on Earth
Notable Lawsuits Include:
- Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: The NRDC sued the EPA over its failure to regulate perchlorate in drinking water, arguing that the lack of regulation posed a significant public health risk. This lawsuit was a critical factor in pushing the EPA to commit to setting limits on perchlorate by 2025. The case highlights the long-standing governmental inaction on this issue. NRDC Lawsuit
- San Gabriel Valley Superfund Sites: Multiple lawsuits have been filed against companies responsible for perchlorate contamination in the San Gabriel Valley, California, a designated Superfund site. These lawsuits seek to recover cleanup costs and address the public health risks posed by the contamination. One significant outcome was a court decision requiring the Navy to fund the cleanup of perchlorate in this area. San Gabriel Valley Case
- City of Rialto v. Perchlorate Manufacturers: The city of Rialto, California, filed a lawsuit against manufacturers and users of perchlorate, seeking damages for the costs of cleaning up contaminated groundwater. This lawsuit resulted in substantial settlements that helped fund the city’s cleanup efforts, highlighting the financial and environmental impact of perchlorate contamination. City of Rialto Case
Conclusion
This is a major issue we have allowed to go unaddressed in our food supply: perchlorate. Federal regulators have taken only limited steps, even as the chemical has drifted from packaging into a wide array of foods. The Court battles have shined some light on the issue but there is still a long way to go before consumers are truly protected. If you truly care about your health and value an holistic form of living, then not just keeping yourself updated but lobbying for tighter regulations is more important than ever when deciding what to put on the end of your fork.consume.
References
- Consumer Reports Study on Perchlorate in Food and Water
- Health Impact of Perchlorate Exposure
- Groundwater Contamination with Perchlorate
- Perchlorate in Baby Foods and Other Products
- NRDC Lawsuit Against EPA
- San Gabriel Valley Superfund Case
- City of Rialto Perchlorate Case
Read our other articles on Toxins