Baby Safety / Compounds / Perchlorate

Is Perchlorate safe for babies and kids?

Context-dependent for kids

(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human pregnant context.) Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Perchlorate, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

What is perchlorate?

The IUPAC name is perchlorate ion.

Also known as: perchlorate ion, Perchlorate ion(1-), Perchlorate(1-), ClO4-.

IUPAC name
perchlorate ion
CAS number
14797-73-0
Molecular formula
ClO4-
Molecular weight
99.45 g/mol
SMILES
[O-]Cl(=O)(=O)=O
PubChem CID
123351

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Perchlorate, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Perchlorate, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Regulatory consensus

3 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Perchlorate. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA——
USGS——
NSF——

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter perchlorate

  • drinking water
  • groundwater
  • rocket propellant areas
  • airbag deployment areas
  • fertilizer contamination

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Perchlorate:

  • Biological ion exchange (perchlorate-selective resin)
    Trade-offs: Resin regeneration produces waste brine. Not effective below 4 μg/L.
    Relative cost: Capital-intensive; $0.50-2/1000 gal
  • Bioremediation (perchlorate-reducing bacteria)
    Trade-offs: Requires electron donor addition. Slow process. Sensitive to co-contaminants.
    Relative cost: Lower than pump-and-treat

Frequently asked questions

What products contain perchlorate?

Perchlorate appears in: drinking water; groundwater; rocket propellant areas.

See Perchlorate in the baby app

Look up products containing perchlorate, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 14797-73-0 — reference

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →