EWG Comments on EPA Methods to Set Goal Level for Perchlorate in Tap Water

EWG’s public comments to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Drinking Water urge it to protect American children from perchlorate exposure by establishing a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) for perchlorate based on the agency’s draft proposal. Perchlorate can harm the developing fetus by altering thyroid hormone levels, especially when the mother’s iodine intake is low. Even short-term alterations to thyroid hormones during pregnancy can cause lasting damages to childhood brain development.