How dangerous perchlorates are on the drinking water?

Perchlorate burden zunehemd the ground water in the United States and can also get into the drinking water. Of perchlorate in drinking water, a much greater danger seems to be assumed, as was previously thought. The value for non-hazardous concentrations of the chemical compound in the drinking water appear to be significantly lower, than in the past, it was accepted.

Researchers from the Vanderbilt University, the University of California, Irvine, and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine reports that Perchlorate in the United States takes in a significantly higher concentration in the drinking water than has hitherto been suspected. And your current study show that even at low concentrations already had negative health effects occur. The results of the study were published in the English scientific journal “Nature Structural & Molecular Biology“ published.

In which products perchlorate is included?

Perchlorate, a group of chemical Compounds, the fuels in, for example, rockets are open, fireworks, pesticides (in the United States; not in the EU) and the contrast agents for certain radiological examinations.

Health problems caused by perchlorate?

It is assumed that Perchlorate can contribute to various health problems in humans such as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid). The researchers studied the mechanism by which Perchlorate is the normal function of the thyroid gland affect and cause harm.

They focused on how Perchlorate to block a main road, on the iodide in the thyroid gland cells get. Iodine helps the thyroid gland in the formation of hormones, which are important for the regulation of metabolism and other important functions of the body is essential.

How the thyroid controls the Jodidstrom

The thyroid cells to control the inflow Jodidstrom via a protein channel, the sodium/iodide Symporter, which is also referred to as the Na /I–Symporter or NIS. Sodium fit to two binding sites in the NIS to unlock the channel, so that iodide can get into the thyroid cell, report the researchers.

Perchlorate blocks the protein channel

The research group found that Perchlorate can block the channel by coupling to the NIS Protein and change its shape. So less sodium binds to the wrong-shaped channel, thereby increasing the amount of iodide that can be moved within the thyroid cells, is significantly reduced.

Influence of different concentrations of perchlorate

The researchers studied more, such as different concentrations of Perchlorate affect the Jodidtransport. To do this, you could first of all the thyroid cells to grow, which expressed the Gene SLC5A5. This Gene encodes the instructions for building NIS-channels. Next, some of the cells were placed in an environment with Perchlorate and radioactive Iodine, while the other cells were only surrounded by radioactive Iodine. Finally, the researchers looked in the two groups, how much the radio was able to reach the active iodide in the cells.

They found that in thyroid cells with a perchlorate environment, much less iodide was than in the other cells, even at very low concentrations of the chemical. The results of the new study strongly indicate that the sum-studied pollutant is much more dangerous than previously thought, the researchers. This is seriously a cause for concern.

For more information about the risks posed by Perchlorate is found at the Federal Institute for risk assessment (BfR), where in this country is quite a different situation than in the United States, as, for example, the use of Perchlorate in plant protection products was never allowed. The BfR points out, however, expressly to the risk of possible perchlorate contamination in food. (as)

Authors and source of information

This Text meets the requirements of the medical literature, medical guidelines, as well as current studies and was examined by doctors and Medical scientists.