POLLUTED PLANET

Mars Lander finds toxic substance in soil

The Phoenix Mars Lander may have detected perchlorate, a potentially toxic substance used in rocket fuel, in soil samples taken from the red planet, NASA scientists say.
The space agency said further tests were required to confirm the presence of perchlorate in Martian dirt and rule out contamination from the spacecraft.
Phoenix is the latest NASA probe sent to discover whether water, a crucial ingredient for life, ever flowed on Mars and if life, even in the form of microbes, exists or ever existed there.
Last week, NASA said Phoenix had provided definitive proof that water exists on Mars after further tests on ice found by the lander in June.

A NASA spokeswoman declined to characterise perchlorate as detrimental to life.

Health Implications of Perchlorate Ingestion
Perchlorate a powerful oxidant used in solid rocket fuels by the military and aerospace industry has been detected in public drinking water supplies of over 11 million people at concentrations of at least 4 parts per billion (ppb). High doses of perchlorate can decrease thyroid hormone production by inhibiting the uptake of iodide by the thyroid. Thyroid hormones are critical for normal growth and development of the central nervous system of fetuses and infants.