The US EPA plans to establish the first national standard for perchlorate by proposing a formal rule. The decision, which reverses one by the Bush Administration, was made after EPA scientists’ research on the naturally occurring and man-made chemical raised concerns about potential adverse effects it may have on the thyroid. In addition to setting perchlorate limits, the EPA announced that it will create one drinking water standard for up to 16 volatile organic compounds that potentially cause cancer. A major component of the EPA’s new strategy for drinking water, announced in March 2010, is to focus on contaminants as a group instead of separately, with the hopes of making protection more cost efficient, rapid and effective.

Source: EPA