RE: thyroid disease article

[Susan Gawarecki <loc@icx.net>]

The long version of this article tells how perchlorate is used to treat
hyperthyroidism.

Regards,
Susan

VOLUNTEERS TO INGEST POLLUTANT FOR DRINKING WATER STUDY
from The Los Angeles Times

Every morning for six months, 100 volunteers in San Bernardino are
dutifully swallowing pills.

But these human volunteers--recruited by Loma Linda University Medical
Center and paid $1,000 apiece--are not testing a new medication. The
pills contain an industrial pollutant called perchlorate, a chemical
found in rocket fuel.

The experiment, which is funded by aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, is
designed to see whether perchlorate pollution is harmful to human
health. The intent is to develop data that could influence the setting
of national and state drinking-water standards.

The unusual research raises ethical questions about whether scientists
should allow volunteers to ingest chemicals or pesticides in the quest
to understand the dangers of environmental contaminants. Several small,
industry-funded experiments on human volunteers have been conducted in
recent years for some compounds, like perchlorate, where the risks of
consuming low levels are poorly understood.
<http://www.latimes.com/news/science/science/20001127/t000113773.html>
-- 
.....................................................
Susan L. Gawarecki, Ph.D., Executive Director
Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee
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The LOC newsletter "Insights" is posted on our Web site
http://www.local-oversight.org - E-mail loc@icx.net 
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