About Perchlorate
About Perchlorate
Perchlorate is a simple salt-like substance made up of chlorine and oxygen. Though perchlorate can be man-made, it is also found in nature, and is naturally present in some fertilizers used in organic farming, for example.
Perchlorate is used by the military, NASA and the commercial space industry as an ingredient in solid rocket fuel and explosives. Perchlorate is also used as a component in safety flares, fireworks, auto air bag inflators, lubricating oils and aluminum refining.
Perchlorate Basics
Learn more about the medical and agricultural uses of perchlorate.
History
Explore a timeline outlining the historical use of perchlorate.
Featured
Pearce Study
Low level perchlorate exposure does not affect thyroid function in pregnant women.
Facts
Perchlorate and Water
In 2006, U.S. EPA conducted a study to help determine the occurrence of perchlorate in water across the country. EPA tested 34,193 samples from US public water systems. Of those, only 637 samples (1.86 percent) had perchlorate levels above 4 ppb.
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