Breast Milk Contamination

It’s a damn shame when something as wholesome and apple pie as breastfeeding has become something suspect that might harm your baby. But that’s the case with perchlorate, a toxic chemical in rocket fuel, which is contaminating breast and cow’s milk across the U.S. in levels that could harm human health. (In fact, it’s probably happening all over the world.)

The results of a recent study found perchlorate present in all breast-milk samples from 18 states, and at levels that are above the safe dose recommendations recommended by a National Academy of Sciences panel. Food grown in areas fed by contaminated water is probably the source of the perchlorate. Industry says the clean-up process is expensive but hey, what’s the cost of poisoning babies?