A toxic chemical found in rocket fuel is present in both cow’s milk and human breast milk at levels that could cause harm, research shows. Investigators found high levels of the chemical perchlorate in 46 of 47 store-bought milk samples from 11 states. And 36 samples of human breast milk tested from a randomly selected group of women living in 18 states contained even higher levels. The findings suggest that the chemical may be more widespread than has been believed, researchers say. Perchlorate has been found in drinking water from 35 states and occurs naturally at very low levels in the environment.
