The Environmental Protection Agency recently recommended a preliminary clean-up goal for perchlorate, used in rocket fuel and military explosives, of 24.5 parts per billion in water. Perchlorate has been detected in groundwater or drinking water in 26 states and at about 45 of the 1,500 sites on the EPA's National Priorities List.

Perchlorate is used in other substances such as pyrotechnics and fireworks, blasting agents, matches, lubricating oils, and air bags. It has been linked to interference with iodide uptake into the thyroid gland, disrupting development in infants and children.

Links

• Environmental Protection Agency