This should come as no surprise to anyone, considering that a 2005 study found perchlorate in dairy and human milk samples all across the US (http://news.bio-medicine.org/biology-news-3/Perchlorate-found-in-dairy-and-breast-milk-samples-from-across-the-country-12871-1/). Most of you probably remember, though, that there was a LOT more press given to the finding of perchlorate in human milk than in dairy milk. Finally, four years later, we hear about the perchlorate in ABM. Go figure.
Cee
--- On Fri, 4/3/09, beth schwartz <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: beth schwartz <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Rocket feul chemical found in baby formula
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Friday, April 3, 2009, 7:42 AM
Another good reason not to feed you baby ABM. The CDC won't even release
which brand it was.
Beth Schwartz LLLL Manhattan
upperwestsidemom.blogspot.com
ATLANTA – Traces of a chemical used in rocket fuel were found in
samples of powdered baby formula, and could exceed what's considered a
safe dose for adults if mixed with water also contaminated with the
ingredient, a government study has found.
The study by scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
looked for the chemical, perchlorate, in different brands of powdered baby
formula. It was published last month, but the Environmental Working Group issued
a press release Thursday drawing attention to it.
The chemical has turned up in several cities' drinking water supplies. It
can occur naturally, but most perchlorate contamination has been tied to defense
and aerospace sites.
No
tests have ever shown the chemical caused health problems, but
scientists have said significant amounts of perchlorate can affect
thyroid function. The thyroid helps set the body's metabolism. Thyroid
problems can impact fetal and infant brain development.
However,
the extent of the risk is hard to assess. The government requires that
formula contain iodine, which counteracts perchlorate's effects. The
size of the infant and how much formula they consume are other factors
that can influence risk.
The study itself sheds little light on how dangerous the perchlorate in baby
formula is. "This wasn't a study of health effects," said Dr.
Joshua Schier, one of the authors.
The largest amounts of the chemical were in formulas derived from cow's
milk, the study said.
The
researchers would not disclose the brands of formula they studied. Only
a few samples were studied, so it's hard to know if the perchlorate
levels would be found in all containers of those brands, a CDC
spokesman said.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it was
considering setting new limits on the amount of perchlorate
that would be acceptable in drinking water. A few states have already
set their own limits.
The EPA has checked nearly 4,000 public water supplies serving 10,000 people or
more. About 160 of the water systems had
detectable levels of perchlorate, and 31 had levels high enough to
exceed a new safety level the EPA is considering.
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