Wednesday, February 2, 2011

EPA will limit rocket fuel chemical in tap water

"The Obama administration announced Wednesday that it will develop the first standard to limit tap water's amount of a toxic rocket fuel ingredient linked to thyroid problems in pregnant women and young children."



Apparently, traces of a chemical, in the perchlorate family and linked to thyroid problems in children and pregnant women, can be found in concentrations exceeding 4 ppb in 4% of US public water sources that serve about 17.6 million people.

Here in North Dakota, we don't have much to worry about because this chart claims that this chemical exists in quantities of less than 4 ppb in our water supplies, but some states have concentrations exceeding 500,000 ppb. This article makes no mention of chemical removal, if that is even necessary, but either way, this is probably a good first step in regards to this issue.



http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2011/02/epa-rocket-fuel-tap-water/1

2 comments:

  1. So, where does this rocket fuel substance come from, and why is it found so sporadically throughout the US?

    More importantly, if there is a "standard", why is it only being implemented for the first time now?

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  2. From what I can remember when I wrote this, the chemical was regulated by the government in the past, but different agencies within fought to have the restrictions removed. I think the source of the contamination comes from the manufacturing and testing processes and leaching into the groundwater.

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