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Space Science

New Reports on Health Risks of Rocket Fuel 42

Posted by timothy from the but-perchlorate-is-rich-and-tasty dept.
An anonymous reader writes "A new study revealed in the journal Nature says children are being made sick by rocket fuel near the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Russia's main launch site. Space.com has a story about it that also tells of a new National Research Council report about rocket fuel contamination in the United States. It's in drinking water, bottled water, milk and even on lettuce. The Environmental Working Group has long fought for tougher standards on how much rocket fuel (actually, its main component, perchlorate) we ought to drink. Environmental Working Group has a response to the NRC report, and one of their officials is quoted in the Space.com story as saying the EPA will likely set tighter standards after considering the risk to infants. Bottom line: Rocket fuel probably isn't too good for us."
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New Reports on Health Risks of Rocket Fuel More

New Reports on Health Risks of Rocket Fuel

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  • "Rocket Fuel, DAMN!"

  • Fetal Rocket Fuel Syndrome


    Think of the children man !!!
  • you don't have to be a rocket scientist to .. oh... nvr mind =P

    e.
  • Then you get what you deserve, I'd say. Somehow I greatly doubt that Tillamock Cheese and North Plains Lettuce purchased in Beaverton at the farmer's market are contaminated.
    • Then you get what you deserve, I'd say. Somehow I greatly doubt that Tillamock Cheese and North Plains Lettuce purchased in Beaverton at the farmer's market are contaminated.

      Unless there happened to be a private or military perchlorate manufacturing or storage facility nearby that was dumping or letting this stuff leak into the ground or surface water. It's not like they have only been finding this stuff at Cape Canaveral or something.

    • Re:If you get your lettuce and milk from launch pa (Score:4, Informative)

      by WhiteBandit ( 185659 ) on Wednesday January 12, 2005 @05:01PM (#11339912) Homepage
      Then you get what you deserve, I'd say. Somehow I greatly doubt that Tillamock Cheese and North Plains Lettuce purchased in Beaverton at the farmer's market are contaminated.

      That's a pretty insensitive and ignorant comment. You might be surprised to learn how prevalent perchlorate contamination is in the United States. Drinking and irrigation water for up to 20 million Americans [ewg.org] in 14 different states [dailybulletin.com] are contaminated with it. But then again, I guess those 20 million people get what they deserve? And yes, even our lettuce is affected [portaec.net].

      Anyway, regardless of whether you were trolling or not, some information for other people who might be interested. Southern California has a rather large problem with perchlorate contamination in our water supplies. This wasn't discovered until around 1997 when the EPA and local water municipalities decided to start testing for it. They were quite surprised as to the extent of this "plume".

      Evidentially, contractors and other workers were dumping all their rocket fuel right into the ground. Granted, they were probably unaware of the possible consequences at the time. Anyway, a number of these plumes have been found around former military bases in Southern California (Norton, March, George). In particular, the plume located around Norton/San Bernardino is a huge problem and cleaning it up is astronomically expensive [dailybulletin.com]

      Other links:
      A Perchlorate Primer [ewg.org]
      Map of contaminated sites in the United States [basinwater.com]
      Study says low amounts of Perchlorate pose NO risk [latimes.com] (LA Times - Registration Required. This article was written yesterday. Interesting contrast to this Slashdot article)
      Lockheed Martin commissions study. Volunteers take perchlorate pills [ewg.org]
      • Just to continue the sarcasm a bit, since you didn't get it the first time:

        I'm a citizen of Cascadia- an occupied nation somewhat north of Southern California. It would help us Cascadians who labor under the oppressive regime of the United States and Canada if the teaming masses of immoral Mexifornicators and Californicators would simply die off; they suck far more resources than they return to the area.

        Sarcasm off. Actually, from the map, you appear to be right- Oregon and Washington and Idaho, and ver
  • Does anybody have information on what types of rocket fuels contain perchlorate [wikipedia.org]? Is it only solid rockets?
    • Yes. It's extremely common as a solid fuel in rockets such as the Titans, Deltas, Space Shuttle, etc. Also, it powers military missles, amateur rockets, sounding rockets, and just about any other type of solid rocket.

    • Perchlorate is found in large solid rocket motors, e.g. ballistic missiles, strap-on boosters for launch vehicles (Titan III & IV, Space Shuttle, some versions of the Delta launcher, Pegasus). Small tactical missiles often use a double base propellant, similar to "smokeless powder" used for small arms, to reduce smoke.

      Liquid fuel rockets do not use perchlorate. The most common oxidizer is liquid oxygen (LOX), second most common oxidizer is N2O4. One of the selling points of the Delta "Heavy" booster is

  • Recently the town I work in had problems with perchlorate in the water. They first claimed it was naturally forming (hah); but actually found that a medical facility was dumping something into the water that was forming / causing the perchlorate buildup.
    The town actually recommended that we avoid drinking the water if at all possible, especially if you were an infant, pregnant, or have thyroid issues such as hypothyroidism. I personally took this warning quite seriously as both my parents have the afore
  • So chemicals that hurtle tons of metal off our planet aren't BENEFICIAL to my health?

    Whoever sat and thought "well I KNOW I'm eating rocket fuel but I'm pretty sure it's cool."
    I'm more surprised we're consuming it at all- not that it's slightly detrimental to my health to do so.

  • This seemingly innocent piece of greenery is actually quite insidious [straightdope.com], even without the perchlorate. Just say no.
    • Wait, this article says that the story about psychotropic chemicals in lettuce is apparently based on shaky evidence at best (namely, that there is a chemical in fresh lettuce that smells like opium), and that no medical studies have ever been able to find any effects.

  • Risk (Score:2, Informative)

    by WalksOnDirt ( 704461 )
    The EPA is in the news today for saying that the perchlorate limts on drinking water should be raised twenty times, rather than lowered. That is, they are saying it is not as dangerous as previously thought.
    • That is not completely accurate. The National Research Coucil released a study today that concluded that perchlorate levels 20 times higher than those proposed by the EPA would be safe. While the EPA will probably increase its proposed limits due to this study, it is unlikely that it will be 20 times higher. As interesting side note, an article on WebMD on this story had the headline "Panel: Rocket Fuel Chemical in Water Is Safe", so drink up!
  • This has been widely reported in the SF Bay Area news due to perchlorate contamination the South Bay. Check all the links on Google [google.com].
  • they're not rocket scientists.
  • Hmmm, a real Daily Mail story if I ever saw one. Remember everybody, reading the Daily Mail causes CANCER!
  • Who'd have thought that Rocket Fuel wasn't good for human consumption? I remember growing up, riding out to the swimming hole in the back of my uncles pickup, drinking Rocket Fuel out of an old mason jar with my cousins.

    Ah, those lazy summer days!
  • Ought to drink? You can have your morning cereal with liquid rocket fuel but I'll pass - thanks!
  • Hey, this really IS rocket science!
    And they really mean Rocket Fuel.
    I was worried for second...the headline looked like they were going to trot out another health study telling me my coffee habit is killing me.
  • We need to find a way to justify our increased budget request next year, Barbara.

    I have it! Rocket fuel kills children!

    Excellent, Barbara. Fire up the Fax machine and let CBS know. We should make the 5 o'clock news. Then in two weeks, hit up congress for another billion in funding, I want a new car.
  • You mean this stuff really is worse than they let on? I just read this article [kansascity.com] the other day and it struck me as typical goverment "it's not really that bad for you bullshit".

    Waiter, I'll have the 0 ppm water. Thanks.

  • which I shall not name (if it still exists, I haven't visited the Big Smoke in a while), that sells coffee under the name "Rocket Fuel".

    Basically, it's Turkish-style coffee, so the analogy is pretty good...
  • I seem to remember that Hydrazine [astronautix.com] or at least one of its relatives, UDMH [astronautix.com] is really nasty. Contact with the vapour kills you. OTOH, it has a good specific impulse [af.mil] and is hypergolic with certain oxidizers [astronautix.com]. This means that it has a good bang per kilo and will self ignite on contact with the oxidizer so making it quite popular for use in an RCS (Reaction Control System) for manouvering in space.
  • All I have to say is that if it's in the food I eat and the water I drink, and I haven't gotten sick for more than five years, then it can't be that bad for me.
  • note to self... stop drinking rocket fuel.
  • I'm waiting to hear this report from Borat [boratonline.co.uk] before I make my judgement. He will lead the way in making our world safer for our children.
    See Borat refining his speaking skills here [hbo.com]. Select the "Rekognize" video clip.
  • We legislate our space program out of existance.

    Friggin lawyers.

    BC

  • Fun.. (Score:1)

    by cepler ( 21753 )
    And to think, as a kid I never really realized what was around me, read the following URLs for some fun stuff:

    http://www.companyethics.com/aerojet.htm

    This is being built pretty much right on top of the old AeroJet ordinance site, neato..:
    http://www.experiencevellano.com/

    http://www.laweekly.com/ink/00/24/news-collins.p hp

  • What the heck is rocket fuel made of?

    All this time, I thought Rocket Fuel was liquid Hydrogen!

    Which would explain why at first it didn't phase me that they said it ended up in our water but now I'm a bit worried as I live in one of those areas mentioned and all I drink is water (from the tap of all places too). *sigh*

    Is there a water filter that one can buy to filter out this type of pollution?

    The water out here is bad enough with all the chlorine and lead. This is not cool. :-(
    • What the heck is rocket fuel made of?

      Solid fuel is typically aluminum powder, polybutadene and ammonium perchlorate for the bigger motors. Nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin for some of the smaller motors. Sugar and potassium nitrate for model rockets.

      Liquids fuels include gasolene (Goddard), ethanol (V2), kerosene/RP1 (Atlas, Thor, Saturn first stages), Hydrazine (Agena, Titan II, III, IV, Apollo service module and lunar excursion module), Hydrogen (Centaur, Saturn upper stages, Space Shuttle main engines

  • "Hey, matey, got a match?"

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