thyroid, perchlorate, autism models

[Guest guest]

Today's news decribes perchlorate near Harvard (4), thus near the home

of at least one of our autism-family listmates. However, perchlorate

pollution has become ubiquitous. Eating lettuce is a way to ingest

perchlorate, a chemical that can affect thyroid function. The

distribution and effects of perchlorate (eg, 1-3) prompt a consideration

of causation models in autism.

Did thimerosal cause autism? Did the MMR cause autism? Are we engaging

in delusional model building if we separate thimerosal and the MMR from

background pollutions that affect, eg, detox, immunity, and thyroid

function? In other words, although I accept as valid the CDC's 1999

findings regarding thimerosal's adverse effects and although I accept as

valid ileal lymphoid hyperplasia associated with vaccinal MV in gi

tissue, I can't help but think that fetuses, infants, and toddlers had

their susceptibility unnecessarily increased via becoming loaded with

toxins such as PCBs, perchlorate, etc.

Importantly, since such exposures are ubiquitous and virtually

unavoidable in the US, their effects would not be apparent in a

thimerosal/no-thimerosal/adverse effects study - even tho' the presence

of the additional toxins is very likely to have increased the rate and

severity by which thimerosal-injected children were made to have ADD,

ADHD, sleep disorders, and/or autism (CDC 1999).

Should we accept these chemicals and their impacts upon health as

acceptible aspects of modernity? Should we accept thimerosal injections

and their collateral damage as acceptible aspects of modernity? Should

some of the labs and researchers (eg, Brewitt, Kirkman, Klaire) begin to

develop substances that can bind to perchlorate in ways that the human

body can eliminate?

Many autistic kids do not fully recover via Heal the gut, Optimize

nutrition, Chelate if necessary, Antivirals if necessary. Within that

group, is there a subgroup whose improvement would be increased if

additional toxins were removed? How many of those kids would have been

less severely affected if societal policies did not virtually mandate

(and certainly allow and encourage) our exposure to toxins?

1. Perchlorate- Nation's lettuce crop contaminated with perchlorate

<http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-pollution-perchlorate-lettuce.htm>

<http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-pollution-perchlorate-lettuce.htm>Perchl\

orate

contamination of US lettuce crop, ... The Air Force, however, did fund a

study of perchlorate in greenhouse-grown lettuce that was released in

January. ...

www.freedrinkingwater.com/ water-pollution-perchlorate-lettuce.htm

2. Suspect Salads: Lettuce May Be Toxic To Your Thyroid!

<http://thyroid.about.com/cs/perchloratedanger/a/lettuce.htm>

.... of lettuce samples contained detectable levels of perchlorate, and

an average serving of contaminated lettuce contained 4 times more

perchlorate than the EPA ...

thyroid.about.com/cs/perchloratedanger/a/lettuce.htm

3. EWG's complete report, titled " Suspect Salads, " is available at

http://www.ewg.org/reports/suspectsalads/es.php

<http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/XJ & sdn=thyroid & zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ewg.org%2Freports\

%2Fsuspectsalads%2Fes.php>

* * *

4. Perchlorate found near Harvard border

By Lamb HARVARD

http://www.harvardhillside.com/Stories/0,1413,108~5342~2628103,00.html

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has been

testing for the water contaminant Perchlorate over the past year. Tests

show that the highest concentrations in the state are found at the

Harvard Ridge Condominiums just across the town line from Harvard in

neighboring Boxborough.

According to DEP information, the contaminant is known to decrease

iodine intake and alter thyroid hormone levels in humans, which can

interfere with normal growth.

Although the DEP has not found any evidence of the contamination

crossing the town line, the Harvard Board of Health has sent letters to

the residents of nearby Sherry Road to inform them of the circumstance,

said Board of Health Chairman Sue First.

In a telephone interview, First said the board sent the letters as an

" FYI " for the neighbors only. She added that the board had not been

instructed to do so by the DEP, which is handling the situation in

Boxborough.

" At this point we have received no indication from the DEP that we need

to take any action on this, " she said. " And they would tell us. "

Asked about any local risks, Ira Grossman, health agent for Harvard with

the Nashoba Associated Boards of Health, said two DEP tests in recent

months on the neighboring wells on Sherry Road have come back clean. But

he added that it was difficult to speculate how a contaminant may

migrate through the ground.

" So far, there's been no Perchlorate found in Harvard, " he said.

When asked about Perchlorate, DEP spokesman Ed Coletta confirmed that

DEP has required all public water supplies in the commonwealth be tested

four times for the substance over the past year, but cautioned that,

that generally did not include private wells.

" We have not required that private wells be tested, unless a contaminant

is uncovered, " he said. " At this point it's really up to people who have

a private well to decide if they want to get that testing done. "

In the case of Sherry Road, Coletta confirmed that DEP had tested the

water there twice in the past year, and found no contaminants.

Asked about the possibility of migration, he said that Perchlorate has

the potential to fan-out in a contamination plume. However, he added

that testing in the area had not shown that sort of activity.

The DEP reported that the contaminated well at Harvard Ridge showed a

concentration of 791 parts per billion (ppb) of Perchlorate back in

September, far above the DEP's maximum accepted standard of 18 ppb.

Although 18 ppb is the maximum acceptable level in most cases, the DEP

has warned that 1 ppb is the maximum acceptable exposure for sensitive

demographics, which include pregnant women, infants, children through

the age of 12, and those who have untreated hypothyroidism.

Coletta said the Harvard Ridge well with the massive concentration has

been put out of commission. He added that an advisory still exists for a

second well in the complex that has a concentration of eight to 10 ppb.

The source of the contamination has not officially been determined by

the DEP. However, information distributed by the DEP states that the

contaminant is generally found in relation to explosives.

Moreover, Grossman confirmed that recent blasting has taken place as

part of a wastewater treatment plant installation at a condo complex.

In response to this development, the fire chiefs of Harvard and

Boxborough have banned the use of Perchlorate-based explosives and

fireworks until further notice.

The situation has also caught the attention of the environmental group

Clean Water Action (CWA). CWA is a national environmental group that

works to address environmental and pollution-related issues. This group

recently observed the 30th anniversary of the federal Safe Drinking

Water Act (SDWA) with the release of a report outlining subsequent and

emerging threats to safe drinking water in the Bay State.

Group director Mike issued a statement with that report commending

the DEP's efforts, and speaking to what is at stake.

" While the Safe Drinking Water Act has made affordable drinking water

available to the majority of the citizens of this country, the act does

not adequately equip us to prevent water contaminants such as

Perchlorate from entering our drinking water supplies, " stated .

" Massachusetts must continue to take the lead by funding and

implementing effective programs to prevent the vast array of chemicals

used in our water recharge areas from entering our precious drinking

water supplies. "

The report is titled " Perchlorate Just the Tip of Iceberg: Emerging

Drinking Water Contaminants, " and it argues that the SDWA is not

properly equipped to deal with many modern threats to safe drinking

water and that communities must rise to meet this challenge.

wrote that the Perchlorate issue stems from it being one of many

" unregulated contaminants, " meaning that the Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) has not established contamination standards for it, and

that it is not tested for under the SDWA.

The report said that statewide DEP testing for Perchlorate began after

it was found at the Massachusetts Military Reservation in Bourne in

early 2004. After testing over 500 public and private wells, the

contaminant was found in Boxborough, Westford, Tewksbury, Westport,

Millbury, Hadley, Southbridge and town.

In most cases, the contaminant was attributed to prior blasting activity.

said the solution lies in preventing the use of poisons in the

watershed areas and in providing the DEP with resources to provide

guidance and assistance to local water providers.

Coletta said CWA is generally a reputable group. However, he added that

he had not read the report.

He did confirm that Perchlorate is not currently listed as a contaminant

on a state or federal level. He added that the MassDEP is working to set

contamination levels and cleanup standards for Perchlorate.

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