Download Locations:
Summary:
Perchlorate is the main ingredient of solid rocket fuel and has been used mainly by the Department of Defense (DOD), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and related industries. This highly soluble and persistent compound has been disposed of on the ground for decades, and now has been detected in sources of drinking water that serve more than 11 million people. It also has been found in milk and lettuce. Thus, concern has grown regarding the potential health risks of exposure to perchlorate. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) efforts to make a determination about regulating perchlorate in drinking water have been slowed by uncertainties regarding the health effects of perchlorate exposure at low levels, and because of the need for more research on water treatment technologies. Related issues involve water treatment and environmental cleanup costs, which will depend on the level at which a standard is set. Because of scientific uncertainties and interagency disagreement over the risks of perchlorate, several federal agencies asked the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences to assess perchlorate's health effects and EPA's draft risk assessment. The NRC issued its report in January 2005, and on February 18, EPA adopted the NRC's recommended safe dose for perchlorate exposure. This report reviews perchlorate issues and will be updated to reflect developments.
