Is the Military Defending the U.S. by Poisoning Children?

Last year when writing about perchlorate (a toxic rocket fuel used by the military) on this blog I wrote these words,

"Call me naive, but I guess I'm never going to understand how poisoning one's own citizens is a strategically sound way of defending one's country..."

But a recent study conducted by the FDA makes it clear that those words are truly inadequate,

"A recent study by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that three quarters of 285 commonly consumed foods and beverages are contaminated with perchlorate, a toxic rocket fuel ingredient. According to the study, every day, the average two-year-old is exposed to more than half of the EPA 'safe' dose (RfD) of perchlorate from food alone. This is bad news for children in communities in 28 states who also are exposed to perchlorate through contaminated tap water. Very low levels of perchlorate in tap water will cause the average two year old to exceed EPA's safe exposure level.

Two-year-olds are particularly vulnerable because they eat and drink substantial amounts of food and water relative to their small size. An Environmental Working Group analysis of FDA data found that perchlorate levels as low as 4 parts per billion (ppb) in tap water could expose the average two-year-old to an unsafe dose of the rocket fuel contaminant every single day."