FDA Study On Perchlorate Fuels Lawmakers' Concerns

FDA Week
Published January 25, 2008

An FDA study showing that nearly 300 commonly consumed food and beverages are contaminated with perchlorate, a component of rocket fuel, has two House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to more strictly limit the chemical in drinking water. Lawmakers find especially troubling the finding that the average 2-year-old is exposed to more than half of the EPA allowable limit of perchlorate from food alone. At high doses perchlorate can interfere with iodine absorption into the thyroid gland, disrupting its function. Reps. Albert Wynn (D-CA), chair of the environment and hazardous materials subcommittee, and subcommittee vice chair Hilda Solis (D-CA) called on colleagues Tuesday (Jan. 22) to take up their bill to require that EPA set a drinking water standard for perchlorate. Solis introduced the bill last year but it has not been marked up in committee. FDA found that children up to age 10 are exposed to perchlorate mostly from dairy, and teenagers and adults are exposed to the chemical from vegetables and dairy. "Data from these surveys could also be combined to develop an estimate of the iodine and perchlorate intakes specifically for pregnant and lactating women," FDA states. The Environmental Working Group also is pressing EPA to set tap-water limits for the chemical. Although the study indicates food is the main source of perchlorate, it's easier for EPA to tighten its standards because FDA would have to investigate how perchlorate is getting into food, an EWG scientist said. EPA recently said it would not require additional perchlorate monitoring. A recent report from the Government Accountability Office found that 28 states have communities with drinking water contaminated by perchlorate. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has repeatedly called on EPA to regulate perchlorate more strictly (see Inside EPA, Jan. 8, 2007).