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Rocket Fuel Chemical Found in Food, Water Supply, And Us »
Posted by: Aidenag 2 years, 6 months agoPerchlorate, a chemical used in rocket fuel, is turning up in the nation's food - in vegetables like lettuce and spinach - and water supply. A study from the Centers for Disease Control last year tested almost 3,000 people who are representative of the U.S. population. They found perchlorate in every single person.
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Aidenag
Photographer by day, news junkie by night. My main areas of interest are politics and the environment.
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Comments: 73
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Aidenag
April 28, 2007, 11:39 a.m.This chemical has always worried me. Ive known about the risks a lot longer than most since i grew up on what is probably the most polluted location for this chemical in America. Redstone Arsenal, in Huntsville Alabama. aka Rocket City lol
More info on Perchlorate here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perchlorate
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Amazing1
April 28, 2007, 12:06 p.m.And if there is perchlorate, what else is there? Is this just the tip of the iceberg? Does this have anything to do with the stunning increase in the number of autistic children being born? Of the people tested in the study, all of them showed perchlorate in their system. That's 100% of nearly 3,000 people. Scary stuff.
Thank you for posting this. I think I thank you, that is. Now I have something else to worry about. Yeah, thanks a lot, Aidenag.
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m-simon
April 29, 2007, 12:21 a.m.There is no doubt this proliferation of chemicals is ruining the world and more especially America.
Life expectancy in America is still rising.
Something needs to be done.
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texangelwings
April 28, 2007, 12:58 p.m.Thanks Aidenag. Very scarey.
This reminds me of the problems with chemicals leeching into Lake Worth, in Texas. For weeks while leaving the aircraft factory, we watched people in white space-like suits taking samples from (padlocked) pipes in the ground. Then it was weeks of the parking lots being dug up, with trucks hauling off the dirt. (With warnings of don't eat the fish signs, and where did the dirt endup going?)
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MajJohn
April 28, 2007, 2:06 p.m.Maybe I ought to get tested having been stationed at Redstone for three years. At least I feel secure in knowing that the pentagon is working on a chemical substitute for perchlorate, no wait, they came up with the perchlorate in the first place!
I wonder why the Democrats are going to hold hearings? We don't even know what levels are dangerous. Well, I guess I'll have to assume for now no levels are good for you.
Huh! And here I thought global warming would get me!
I think if we really knew, we'd all die of shock if we knew what was in the water we drink. Is it safer to drink beer?
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Ciera-Marie
April 28, 2007, 2:14 p.m.So after reading the article I still have some questions. I'll check out the other links. So far the Wikipedia one gave some good definitions.
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Ciera-Marie
April 28, 2007, 2:15 p.m.The link Aidenag gave for the EPA's website mentions how it's removed from the water.
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walden3
April 28, 2007, 3:19 p.m.down on cape cod there is otis air force base. for decades jet fuel, perc and waste from artillery shells have been leeching into the soil. these chemicals are then picked up in underground streams which carry them for miles. these underground rivers of toxic chemicals are called plumes. many wells have been contaminated. two of my uncles that lived right close have also died of cancer. cancer rates are high down the cape.
"Costly Cape Cod cleanup has advanced groundwater hydrology research"
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/capecodclean...
although old it's still informative
"HIGHER RATES OF DISEASE TROUBLE WEST CAPE COD"
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lvrofwolves
April 28, 2007, 3:36 p.m.No wonder depression and stress is so rampant, 1,000s of things to worry about, more each day. fix something another pops up, enough to wear a person out, sometimes you just want to throw your hands up in the air and give up. Maybe people who are living in denial are the only ones who will survive.
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brothers
April 28, 2007, 5:30 p.m.I don't understand why they have to have test from the EPA to determine how much of this stuff is in our food supply and how much is safe. Any amount is unsafe. It shouldn't be there in the first place. Yes, I am wondering just what else is in our food chain. They are killing us ever so slowly so that we don't get old and collect social security or pensions for those who have it.
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monesmartgirl
April 28, 2007, 5:59 p.m.Perchlorate has been around for awhile now... but "not in our water". Don't you believe it!
Back in the early 90's, a chemical plant in Las Vegas, NV named PEPCON, rocked the entire valley when it blew sky-high. It was later reported that the plant had been engaged in manufacturing rocket fuel, namely perchlorate, for the space-shuttle program, .
I don't see how Lake Mead and the Colorado river, only a few miles away and downhill from the site, could have avoided contamination but that issue wasn't widely addressed.
Of course, here in Nevada we're still asked to believe that nuclear testing didn't affect any of the underground aquifers than ran beneath the test site.
I make jokes about the plutonium in my well water being free of charge but seriously, I believe perchlorate is just the tip of the iceberg.
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tehranchik
April 28, 2007, 6:49 p.m.That Department of Defense is sure doin' a good job defending us.
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Linkgmr
April 28, 2007, 7:09 p.m....so? What's the big deal? People seem to be fine, there isn't any pandemic of people dying from perchlorate poisoning....so who really cares? As for it being a rocket fuel chemical...we breathe oxygen, which is required for rocket fuel to burn.
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CHAM
April 28, 2007, 7:09 p.m.CHAM
I recall when the AP ( Ammonium Perchlorate ) factory blew up. Seems to me it was caused by the AP permeating the soil within the facility and for some unknown reason no one thought about the fact a natural gas line ran underneath the facility. Since the AP is the Oxidizer for rocket fuel, as it leached into the soil, the plume came into contact with the metal gas line and finally the line became corroded and the pressurized gas blew a hole in the line and thus escaped above ground where some spark or source set off the gas line which in turn set off the AP in the Factory.
Oddly enough a film crew just happened to be filming the facility from a distance when it blew. I don't believe any workers were killed because they had warning sufficient to allow everyone to exit the facility before the explosion.
But the film of the event is spectacular to see. When it blew the force wave is clearly visible as it approaches the cameras. The film ends when it hits the cameras.
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CHAM
April 28, 2007, 7:40 p.m.CHAM
The picture showing the rusted barrel is not how you will usually find AP stored. It is highly corrosive and to my knowledge, the plume spread is closely studied, as well as groundwater samples, anywhere this chemical is used in any quantity. I am very sceptical of the 100% rate implication.
From what population was the sample taken? Was it random? What is meant by the 100% show of AP in the blood? There should be places where there is no AP in the blood unless it can occur naturally. I did see some words from Redstone people, but I'm not sure Redstone Manufactures or assembles any rockets. I assume the samples came from plume areas. Is this true? What did the plume studies and groundwater studies reveal? These studies are continually ongoing at any manufacturing facility using AP.
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vulcan20
April 28, 2007, 8:15 p.m.Or this going to be another "CRANBERRIES CAUSE CANCER!!"
And what high price place are all the government officials going to stay at for this study. Do not forget all the $MILLION$ that they will have to spend and give to friends to set up labs to do all the testing.
Ban all fireworks displays and who knows what.
Get the facts and PROOF of how much for how long to cause harm to a person.
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Eagle_Eye
April 28, 2007, 8:19 p.m.This doesn't surprise me at all!! I knew about it and at others. The Space Shuttle fuel in the 80's was killing the "Spanish Moss" here in Central Florida. They couldn't deny it either and changed fuels and the Moss is back. But it makes me wonder what kind of space fuel cr@p we are exposed to here an near KFC.
BTW, Vertac Corporation makes our space shuttle fuel in North Carolina, but yet they have gone bankrupt in Arkansas leaving a Super Fund site.
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BasilandSpice
April 28, 2007, 8:37 p.m.Recently, I interviewed Brenda Watson, author of The Fiber 35 Diet. She discussed the perchloroethylene poisoning of people who lived above a dry cleaners. That chemical has sinced been phased out. Yes, we are polluting our environment and bodies, and yes it needs to be cleaned up. However, in the mean time, there are doctors who are discovering how to detoxify the body. It gives us some hope.
Kelly Jad'on
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eugenegerard
April 28, 2007, 8:51 p.m.A major rocket fuel supplier leaked perchlorate into the water supply of California's produce growing region. It supplies 80% of the produce in the US. It is especially concentrated in lettuce.
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eugenegerard
April 28, 2007, 8:53 p.m.People seem to be fine? I guess you aren't a baby being breastfed. The initial data was compiled from the breast milk of females.
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CHAM
April 28, 2007, 8:53 p.m.CHAM
I don't have any link of the film. The explosion was several years ago, and that's when I saw the film. I'm sure it still exists somewhere. The SuperFund Site in Arkansas has nothing to do with AP, but it certainly is an Environmental mess. However, the largest user of AP was in Arkansas, where the largest Rocket Propellant Fuel facility in the World was and still is in business although I don't know if it is still the largest. Millions of pounds of AP were consumed there and went into rockets. There is a plume there that is closely studied. There has been no AP found in the Aquafer ( at least I don't think so ). One thing I know is that the incident rate of ALS is more than double the "normal population rate" within 50 miles of the area, but I don't know if there is any connection. Bromide is mined there and the effluent is pumped back into the ground. Supposedly below a clay layer under the Aquafer. About 1 mile deep.
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eugenegerard
April 28, 2007, 8:58 p.m.Everythings fine. Just fine. Just like the air quality in New York after 911. Don't think about those asbestos fibers and god knows what else you're breathing. Republicans have such high ethical standards I want to puke.
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CHAM
April 28, 2007, 9:08 p.m.CHAM
I agree that our Environment is being poisoned. And I'm not sure that all of the damage is recognized or understood for its effect. One of the most worrisom things to me is the introduction of Genetically altered foods coming into the chain. The effect on our DNA and RNA may not be recognizable until a critical threshold has been passed, and then what do we do? Global warming could occur and there might not be any Homo Sapiens to experience it!
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