Not clear if amount imperils children
A toxic chemical in rocket fuel has been detected in California's milk supply, although environmentalists and toxicologists disagree over whether the levels are high enough to pose a health threat to infants and young children.
Tests by the California Department of Food and Agriculture found perchlorate, a rocket fuel component widely used by the defense industry, in 32 samples of milk taken from Alameda, San Joaquin and Sacramento counties, according to a report released today by an environmental watchdog group.
The Environmental Working Group also analyzed 32 samples of milk from stores in Los Angeles and Orange counties and found that 31 of the samples contained minute amounts of perchlorate.
Perchlorate, which contaminates groundwater in parts of the state and the Southwest, has been linked to thyroid problems in humans, though research into specific levels of toxicity is inconclusive.
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