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Perchlorate and Diet: Human Exposures, Risks, and Mitigation Strategies

  • Food, Health, and the Environment (KE Nachman, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Perchlorate is an endocrine-disrupting chemical that interferes with the normal functioning of the thyroid gland. Maternal thyroid dysfunction during gestation may alter fetal brain development. Perchlorate contamination is widespread: it is present in the body of all Americans tested and the majority of foods tested. The main sources of food contamination appear to be hypochlorite bleach, a disinfectant and sanitizer, that when poorly managed quickly degrades to perchlorate and perchlorate-laden plastic food packaging for dry food or localized contamination from manufacturing or processing of the chemical. Eliminating perchlorate from food packaging and improving bleach management, such as reducing concentration and storage time and temperature, would result in reduced perchlorate contamination of food and water.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Germantown, MD, USA

    Maricel V. Maffini

  2. Environmental Medicine and Population Health, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Leonardo Trasande

  3. NYU Wagner School of Public Service\, New York, NY, USA

    Leonardo Trasande

  4. NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York, NY, USA

    Leonardo Trasande

  5. NYU Global Institute of Public Health, 227 East 30th St, Room 735, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    Leonardo Trasande

  6. Chemicals Policy Director, Environmental Defense Fund, 1875 Connecticut Ave NW #600, Washington, DC, 20009, USA

    Thomas G. Neltner

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  1. Maricel V. Maffini
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  3. Thomas G. Neltner
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Correspondence to Maricel V. Maffini.

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Conflict of Interest

Maricel V. Maffini is coauthor of the food additive petition pending before the US Food and Drug Administration requesting that the agency remove its approval of the use of perchlorate in food contact substances.

Thomas G. Neltner is a coordinator and coauthor of the food additive petition pending before the US Food and Drug Administration requesting that the agency remove its approval of the use of perchlorate in food contact substances.

Leonardo Trasande declares he has no conflict of interest.

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Maffini, M.V., Trasande, L. & Neltner, T.G. Perchlorate and Diet: Human Exposures, Risks, and Mitigation Strategies. Curr Envir Health Rpt 3, 107–117 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-016-0090-3

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