New Energy Drink for Toddlers? No Joke, Rocket Fuel Chemical Found in Powdered Baby Formulas

Small amounts of pechlorate, a chemical used in rocket fuel, have turned up in different brands of powdered baby formula and could reach dangerous levels if mixed with tap water also containing the chemical, a new study finds.

A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the highest amounts of pechlorate in formulas made from cow’s milk, officials said. The brand names of the 15 baby formulas included in the study were not released, since officials said they could not be sure that trace amounts found in some samples of the formulas would be present in all containers of the brands.

Pechlorate can be found in the drinking water supplies of cities, particularly those located near defense or aerospace sites. The chemical may also occur naturally.

Concerns About Thyroid Damage

Ingesting the chemical in small, trace amounts has never been linked to health problems in people, but scientists believe larger amounts of pechlorate built up in the body may hamper function of the thyroid, the gland that establishes the body’s metabolism. In infants and unborn fetuses, thyroid problems may affect brain development.

When mixed with water containing trace amounts of pechlorate, the small amounts of the chemical in the contaminated baby formula could produce potentially dangerous levels, the researchers said.

Risk of Injury Difficult to Determine

Researchers said their study did not focus on the health effects of pechlorate and did not explore what injuries might result from exposure to the small amounts of the chemical in powdered baby formulas. Also, the amount of contaminated formula a baby drinks and other many factors may determine the risk of injury, according to the scientists.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently considering whether to set new limits on acceptable levels of perchlorate in drinking water. Some states have already set their own limits that are lower than federal standards.

Of about 4,000 public water supplies serving 10,000 people or more examined by the EPA, about 160 of the supplies had detectable levels of perchlorate, researchers said. Also, 31 of the water systems had pechlorate levels high enough to exceed a new safety level the EPA is considering.

Tougher Pechlorate Standards Are Needed

The EPA must take a hard stand against pechlorate in drinking water for several reasons, not the least of which is danger to children who drink contaminated powdered formulas which, when combined with water also containing the chemical, may put children at risk to severe injuries. We encourage the EPA to adopt stricter standards for acceptable levels of pechlorate in drinking water, a move that would reduce the risk of permanent injury to children and others.

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