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.

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