Chemical in drinking water harms female thyroid

The Washington Times ^ | October 9, 2006 | Joyce Howard Price

[neverdem]

Scientists have linked exposure to small levels of a chemical found in public drinking water supplies in 26 states to suppressed thyroid function in more than a third of women and girls 12 and older.

    The exposure to perchlorate, a study showed, was most acute in women with low levels of iodine in their systems, said Dr. James L. Pirkle, director of sciences in the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention's Environmental Health laboratory and the study's author.

    "It's already been known that high levels of exposure to perchlorate [reduce] thyroid function, but this large study of more than 1,100 women marks the first time this effect has been shown from exposure to perchlorate at lower levels found in the general population ... the effect is not trivial," Dr. Pirkle said.

    Levels of perchlorate commonly found in the population range from 0.2 micrograms per liter up to 100 micrograms per liter.

    Perchlorate, both a naturally occurring and man-made chemical primarily used in making rocket fuel, may not be a household world across the nation, but it is well-known in California, where it seeped into the ground from operations of defense contractors and military bases. The chemical contaminated more than 450 wells and other water sources in Los Angeles, Sacramento and four other counties.

    Perchlorate also is found in milk, cheese and lettuce, as well as in human breast milk and baby formula.

    A report last year by the National Academy of Sciences found that perchlorate has been detected in the public drinking water supplies of more than 11 million Americans in 26 states.

    In the new research, published online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, investigators explained that perchlorate blocks the thyroid gland's uptake of iodine, slowing metabolism and causing medical...

[mom4kittys]

I specifically clicked on the link to get more info and nope--not there.

[TRY ONE]

Ah, the clue: "Perchlorate is found in .....human breast milk"

Answer: Look for women with "B" Cup or smaller, then order bottled water from Peoria!

[neverdem]

NHANES 2001-2002 Data Release Maybe it's there, somewhere.

[Texas Jack]

Giant asteroid to hit Earth and will kill most of the population.

Women and minorities hit hardest.

[neverdem]

Thanks for the link.

[edcoil]

You must remember there are good perchlorate's and bad perchlorate's.

You must remember there are good eggs and bad eggs


You must remember there are good fat and bad fat.


You must remember there are good cholesterol and bad cholesterol.

[ntnychik]

Ping

[armymarinemom]

Thanks. My best guess for causality would be working in the OR for years with exposure to radiation from C-arms.

[neverdem]

4D Ultrasound

For Allen and Webb, Implicit Biases Would Be Better Confronted

FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.

[Doctor Stochastic]

The perchlorate plumes (underground contamination) from industrial sites seem to move much faster than was thought a couple of decades ago. Of course, naturally occuring contaminants are not easy to get rid of.

[JockoManning]

Thanks for posting this.

Marker.

jm

[Ciexyz]

btt

[bannie]

Well, this fat woman's gonna' try!

:-p

[Eagle Eye]

Better check the state list first!

[bannie]

I'll move.

:-)

[bannie]

...but first, I have to go to work.

[Sloth]

Drinking water in 50 states contains dihydrogen monoxide, which is responsible for thousands of deaths each year.

[maryz]

This shows 19 states outside of California:

Table 3. Outside California, more than 100 drinking water sources in 19 states are known to be contaminated with perchlorate.