[CPEO-MEF] Perchlorate and fertilizer

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Fertilizer from Chile puts perchlorate on the table

Science News
Environmental Science & Technology
September 27, 2006

Blast from the past: billions of kilograms of Chilean nitrate 
contaminated with perchlorate left a lasting impression, according to 
researchers’ latest estimates.

Researchers recognize three major sources of perchlorate in the food 
chain: military–industrial activities, agricultural use of Chilean 
nitrate fertilizer, and natural atmospheric sources. The relative 
magnitude of each source has long been subject to speculation. New 
research published today on ES&T’s Research ASAP website (DOI: 
10.1021/es061321z) shows that the historical use of Chilean nitrate 
fertilizer is as large a source of perchlorate in food as 
military–industrial activities are, with natural atmospheric sources 
coming in far behind.

The paper is the first to quantitatively assess the magnitude of these 
sources, and it turns current assumptions about the past origins of 
perchlorate contamination on their head.

...

For the entire article, see
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2006/sep/science/rr_fertilizer.html

--


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org

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