(NaturalNews) Along the human windpipe, tucked low on the front of the neck, sits the thyroid gland. It terms of energy, the thyroid gland is located in the throat chakra, which represents communication.

In order for the thyroid gland to function properly, it needs a special mineral called iodine. Since the body cannot produce its own, iodine must be brought in from an external dietary source. Iodine allows the thyroid to regulate the body's temperature, growth and metabolism while helping the heart, brain and muscles work together in harmony. Hormones are secreted from the thyroid gland into the blood, where they travel throughout the body to regulate body functions. The thyroid gland is practically its own communication center, speaking with the organs by using hormone messages. It acts as a manager, regulating important bodily functions.

Perchlorate hijacks the thyroid gland, competing with iodine

Not surprisingly, the thyroid gland can be hijacked by other forces. Some chemicals go to war with the important thyroid gland by competing with the mineral iodine. One of those chemicals is perchlorate, a chemical pervasive in food and water supplies, especially contaminated wells.
Used primarily as solid propellant for rockets, missiles and fireworks, perchlorate and its salts are literally blasted into the environment. The toxin also appears in matches, flares and pyrotechnics.

Today, its presence in pregnant women is leading to brain damage and learning disabilities in offspring. Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Cardiff University recently looked at data from the Controlled Antenatal Thyroid Study cohort and determined that children exposed to perchlorate in the womb consequentially have lower IQ scores. The results were recently published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

The study looked at 487 women with underactive thyroids. The researchers singled out the top 50 women who had the highest levels of perchlorate in their body. The women with the most perchlorate present in their system during pregnancy gave birth to offspring who grew up with below-average IQ scores.

"The reason people really care about perchlorate is because it is ubiquitous. It's everywhere," said Elizabeth Pearce, MD, MSc, associate professor of medicine at BUSM. "Prior studies have already shown perchlorate, at low levels, can be found in each and every one of us."

Starting in 2007 in California, authorities started monitoring perchlorate in drinking water samples, not allowing its levels to exceed 6 micrograms per liter. Its well documented that thyroid hormones are needed not only for adult health but also for prenatal and postnatal growth and development. If the thyroid gland is not functioning well, then offspring suffer in terms of brain development.

Learning how to remove perchlorate from drinking water to protect life on Earth

The good news is that perchlorate can be removed from any source of contaminated drinking water by using activated carbon filters. The activated carbon adsorbs the perchlorate molecules through an energetic process of adhesion. In this study, 10 types of activated carbon were put to the test using pH as the master variable. The surface energy of the various activated carbon samples varied because of the different surface area and surface charges of the various base materials used, such as wood, bituminous coal and lignite coal. The study found that surface charge was more important than specific surface area in determining perchlorate removal. The study also showed how activated carbon materials having a pH greater than 8 had a higher adsorption capacity than those with a low pH of 2-3, providing strong evidence that electrostatic forces are responsible for perchlorate adsorption.

If more villages and cities implemented water purification techniques such as this, removing contaminants like perchlorate, then entire communities could enjoy increased cognitive function and greater learning abilities, from adult to offspring.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.eurekalert.org

http://www.cdph.ca.gov

http://www.sciencedirect.com

http://www.thyroid.org

http://science.naturalnews.com