New Research Says Perchlorate In Drinking Water Is More Dangerous Than Previously Understood

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that perchlorate inhibits the uptake of iodide, an essential component of thyroid hormones, in a more pronounced and fundamental way than commonly considered. This discovery was published May 25 in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology just as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its decision to not regulate the levels of perchlorate in drinking water.Nancy Carrasco, professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, and the paper’s leading author believes it’s a decision that may endanger public health in many communities across the U.S.“The end effect of perchlorate exposure on thyroid hormones