Rocket fuel contamination of food supply worse than previously thought

Rocket Man

Unless you happen to be a NASA engineer, rocket fuel is probably the furthest thing from your mind when you sit down to enjoy a fresh salad. But the unfortunate reality is that along with all that whole food nutrition you’ll almost definitely be getting a little perchlorate, which is a component of rocket fuel.

Dismaying? That’s just the half of it.

You can’t wash the perchlorate off because it’s actually IN the lettuce, or the spinach, or the tomato. And even if you did try to wash it, chances are you’d be using tap water that contains – yep, you guessed it – perchlorate.

According to a study conducted by FDA scientists, three quarters of about 300 commonly consumed foods and beverages were found to be contaminated with perchlorate. The study also found contamination in the tap water in at least 28 U.S. states.

Health officials believe that the risks posed by perchlorate exposure are most pronounced in women and young children.

A curious chain of events

I don’t know how it is where you live, but here in Baltimore the skies aren’t exactly crowded with rockets.

NASA launches a Space Shuttle in Florida a couple of times each year. An occasional satellite gets launched. Is that really enough to impact most of our national food supply?

An Environmental Working Group (EWG) report about the FDA findings doesn’t shed much light: “The source of perchlorate in food is not clear, although some is known to be from contaminated irrigation water.” But that doesn’t explain how it gets into the water.

When I went looking for answers, the trail actually led all the way back to the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion in 1986. In the wake of that disaster, all Shuttle flights were put on hold for more than two years. During that downtime, however, ammonium perchlorate (a component of the Shuttle’s solid rocket booster fuel) continued to be produced at the usual pace, which created a growing surplus.

Perchlorate is usually stored in aluminum bins. But after all available bins were filled, the Nevada manufacturer began using polyethylene drums, which made the chemical more volitale. In May 1988, welding sparks ignited one of the drums, setting off a chain of fires among the drums and aluminum bins. When the fires finally reached a large area about the size of a football field where many aluminum bins were stacked, a massive explosion caused more than $75 million in damages to surrounding homes.

More significantly, the fire burned for weeks, releasing an immense stream of perchlorate into the atmosphere. Two decades later, scientists believe the Nevada catastrophe may be the primary cause of perchlorate contamination in our food supply.

Very likely, this wouldn’t be the case if the Challenger had launched successfully.

Women and children first

In an e-Alert I sent you more than a year ago, I told you about a 2006 EWG analysis with this daunting conclusion: More than 40 million women in the U.S. may have greater health risks due to exposure to perchlorate. Specifically, the chemical may lower women’s thyroid hormone levels, which can promote fatigue, weight gain, depression, hair loss, sensitivity to cold, excessive menstruation, and goiter development.

Women with infant children have even more to be concerned about. According to the recent FDA study, children around the age of two are more vulnerable to perchlorate because their bodies are developing rapidly and they tend to eat substantial amounts of food relative to their size. The FDA analysis estimates that the average two-year-old is exposed to more than half of the EPA’s safe dose of perchlorate daily. And that’s from food alone, so many kids who pick up additional perchlorate from tap water will exceed the safe dose every day.

The forecast is not exactly bright. EWG analysts believe that controlling food exposure to perchlorate is nearly impossible. But water is a different story. The EWG report calls on the EPA to promptly establish a safety standard for perchlorate in tap water. In addition: “FDA should provide consumers with guidance on choosing foods that reduce the risk of excess perchlorate exposures, particularly during pregnancy and early childhood.”

You know you’re up the creek with a flimsy paddle when Plan A calls for government actionand there’s no Plan B.

Sources:
“FDA Food Testing Shows Widespread Rocket Fuel Contamination of Commonly Consumed Foods and Beverages” Environmental Working Group, 1/16/08, ewg.org
“Rocket Fuel Plant Explosion – Nevada” Chemical Accident Reconstruction Services, Inc., chemaxx.com