Drinking water contaminated with low levels of perchlorate, may be to blame for unusual thyroid hormone levels in some Arizona newborns, a new study suggests. To summarize:

• The amount of perchlorate that humans can safely consume is unknown.

• Standard water-treatment plants cannot remove the chemical from the water supply.

• The chemical is known to affect the function of the thyroid gland.

• Thyroid problems are especially dangerous to children, because if not detected and treated promptly, they may affect a child's mental development.

Researchers compared cases of thyroid problems in children born in two Arizona cities - Yuma, where the water supply contains perchlorate, and Flagstaff, where the water is perchlorate-free.

• Compared with infants born in Flagstaff, those born in Yuma had high levels of hormones that stimulate the thyroid

• The chemical has made its way from disposal sites in Nevada into the Colorado River system.

• The river is a source of drinking water for about 20 million people in Arizona, California and Nevada.

According to one of the researchers, "There is a statistical association between low-level contamination with ammonium perchlorate and elevated or abnormal thyroid function."

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine August, 2000; 42: 777-782.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

More reasons why one should only drink pure water. Drinking water is one of the least expensive and most important physical things you can do to stay healthy. We all need to drink one quart of water for every 50 pounds of body weight. If this water is contaminated with heavy metals, chlorine, or pesticides it will actually contribute to disease rather than promote health. Non-fluoridated water is much preferable as well. I would STRONGLY recommend purchasing "Your Body's Many Cries For Water". It is the best book I know of that documents the usefulness of water. Dr. Batmanghelidj is a physician and does an excellent job. If you are a health care professional this book should be in your library. If you are intersted in more information on thyroid function, diagnosis of disorders, and treatment, I have recently revised my Thyroid articles, one for diagnosis and another for treatment. Also, I just completed an interview with Mary Shomon, the thyroid guide from About.com. Also, if you are interested in thyroid problems, Mary's Shomon's Book "Living Well with Hypothyroidism" is excellent and I highly recommend it. Mary has one of the best books written on the subject of hypothyroidism. It was just completed a few months ago and if you have or suspect thyroid dysfunction, I would strongly recommend it. Click on these links to purchase books from Amazon: Living Well With Hypothyroidism Your Body's Many Cries for Water How You Can Help Support The Web Site Development One of the ways that you can help support this web site is that you can now purchase books through Amazon.com by clicking through on my web site. I obtain a tiny percentage of the sale and that will help support my ability to provide high quality content at no charge to you. However this will only work if you click on one of the links above. It does not work if you go directly to Amazon. I am only recommending books that I would purchase for my own home library, which this book is already a part of. Related Articles: Diagnosis of Hypothyroidism Treatment of Hypothyroidism New Thyroid Screening Recommendations Smoking Increases Risk of Thyroid Problems