Perchlorate consumed by pregnant mothers may reduce child IQ
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 01, 2014 10:13 AM

Though tap water in the U.S. is regulated and filtered, some sources can contain contaminants. According to Scientific American, 4 percent of the drinking water in the U.S., which is consumed by 5 to 17 million people, has perchlorate. Perchlorate, a chemical that is both naturally occurring and can be manmade, is generally found in rocket fuel, fertilizer and fireworks. A new study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism discovered that this chemical may lower the IQ of unborn fetuses down the road.

The effects of perchlorate
Perchlorate levels in drinking water affect the fetuses most during a mother's first trimester. If the mother is exposed to perchlorate during that time, the chemical could cause thyroid dysfunction in the mother. The thyroid is in part responsible for developing a baby's mind. Women exposed to the highest 10 percent of perchlorate were 3 times more likely than mothers not exposed to the chemical to have a child whose IQ score at 3 years old was in the lowest 10 percent of the population. 

"Even mild hypothyroidism and/or hypothyroidism for a short period of time may have adverse neurocognitive effects in later childhood," Dr. Angela Leung, a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was not involved in the study, said in a statement.

Study conditions
Researchers analyzed perchlorate levels in 487 pregnant women who were in their first trimesters. They also had iodine deficiency and thyroid dysfunction during the course of their pregnancy. When the children were 3 years old, researchers had them take an IQ test. 

Though high perchlorate levels are associated with thyroid dysfunction and a decreased IQ, researchers are hesitant to name the chemical as the cause. The study did not account for the mothers' home environment or IQ, both of which could have an effect on the babies.

Perchlorate concerns
Researchers note that while a small portion of the U.S. population is exposed to higher levels of perchlorate, most people encounter it in small amounts. This has caused the Environmental Protection Agency to consider creating regulations surrounding perchlorate levels in water. According to the source, EPA officials are slated to release a proposal to create standards for perchlorate regulation in the summer of 2015. 

"Clearly [perchlorate] is ubiquitous, and various studies keep showing that it could harm health, especially for sensitive populations like pregnant women, fetuses and infants," Andria Ventura, a program associate with Clean Water Action based in Oakland, California, told the source. "We need to regulate it nationally."