Federal scientists and university engineers have taken different approaches to quashing the potentially carcinogenic pollutant perchlorate. The chemical is in jet fuels, explosives, and some fertilizers (SN: 10/16/99, p. 245: http://www.sciencenews.org/sn_arc99/10_16_99/fob3.htm).
Government researchers say they’ve treed the pollutant. In contrast, the engineers have cleaned tainted water by running it through a community of perchlorate-chomping microbes. The treatments exemplify the range of approaches being explored to cope with this pollutant, which disrupts thyroid hormones.