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Is That Rocket Fuel Contaminating Your Water?

Posted August 07, 2009 8:36 AM

From Scientific American:

Perchlorate seems to be everywhere these days. It is in a lot of water supplies, in fruits and vegetables, in Chile's Atacama Desert, and even on Mars.That is good and bad news for the Defense Department and military contractors battling accusations that they have polluted groundwater with perchlorate, a primary component of rocket fuel.

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Mikerho
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#1

Re: Is That Rocket Fuel Contaminating Your Water?

08/07/2009 9:19 AM

Sounds like just more liberal/green bulls**it to me.

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Steve S.
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#2

Re: Is That Rocket Fuel Contaminating Your Water?

08/07/2009 8:41 PM

Sounds like MTBE all over again.. Funny how the rest of the world continues to use MTBE in their gasoline but the US thought it necessary to ban it.
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cwarner7_11
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#3

Re: Is That Rocket Fuel Contaminating Your Water?

08/08/2009 1:31 AM

1. There are not a whole lot of rockets being fired in the southern hemisphere.

2. There is very little mixing of northern and southern atmospheres due to the natural circulation from the equator to the poles.

3. How the heck can the problem in Chile's Atacama Desert be the fault of the Defense Department and military contractors???
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Anonymous Poster
#4
In reply to #3

Re: Is That Rocket Fuel Contaminating Your Water?

08/08/2009 9:39 AM

Easy, just put it on the internet and say it is so. 80% of the population and voters will pick up on it and then there will be Bulls**t laws passed.
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Anonymous Hero
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#5
In reply to #3

Re: Is That Rocket Fuel Contaminating Your Water?

08/09/2009 12:28 PM

"3. How the heck can the problem in Chile's Atacama Desert be the fault of the Defense Department and military contractors???"

Just leftover from Ezekiel's spaceships.
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phoenix911
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#6
In reply to #3

Re: Is That Rocket Fuel Contaminating Your Water?

08/09/2009 6:43 PM

well to blame a third world country that has a rocket program? (third world country with a rocket program, odd isn't it.) Its easier to blame a wealthy country, to clean up fear mongering ecoheads. And the U.S. is a wealthy country just ask our national bank which is;
1st National Bank of China.

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Steve S.
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#7
In reply to #6

Re: Is That Rocket Fuel Contaminating Your Water?

08/09/2009 7:08 PM

Well, China is a wealthy country anyway. They bought the US.
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phoenix911
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#8
In reply to #7

Re: Is That Rocket Fuel Contaminating Your Water?

08/09/2009 8:01 PM

yes they are, but when there are problems, it seems its the west thats takes the blunt of the blame......anyways China may have bought the U.S....but then, thats capitialism...so maybe it is Chinas problem now.

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ndt-tom
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#9

Re: Is That Rocket Fuel Contaminating Your Water?

08/10/2009 9:53 AM

8:45am and I haven't had a 1st cup of caffeine for the day, so this might be one of those "Open-Mouth-Insert-Foot" posts ... but...

thru the 1960's, a cousin and I launched a bunch of model rockets; at first using the Estes motors, then, "experimenting". We had made a bunch of blackpowder units using KNO3 straight-off the pharmacy shelves (I forget the veterinary use for same), but advanced to a much more energetic mix: Auntie's granulated sugar (for fuel) and potassium perchlorate (oxidizer).

Point being ~ even way back THEN, I knew the reaction produced water, carbon dioxide, and KCL (salt) ...

It did NOT produce any ("contaminating") perchlorate.

Without even looking it up (am I doing that "foot" thing?) I am willing to BET that the 'fallout' from any rocket fuel using perchlorates does NOT leave any perchlorate behind to contaminate groundwater or anything else.

Where is the "science" behind the accusation...?

Now for that coffee....
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the wrench
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#10
In reply to #9

Re: Is That Rocket Fuel Contaminating Your Water?

08/28/2009 5:16 PM

DARN!!! I was just going to suggest trading my CO2 credits for perchlorate charges.......

yeah, yeah, the sarcasm.......
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