The five worst environmental threats to children's health

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The five worst environmental threats to children's health.

Journal of Environmental Health

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According to a 1997 report from the Natural Resources Defense Council

(NRDC), growing evidence points to a link between pollution and childhood

illnesses. In the last 50 years, more than 75,000 chemicals have been

developed and introduced into the environment. The overall incidence of

childhood cancer increased 10 percent between 1973 and 1994. In the 1980s,

asthma rates tripled. While the NRDC report does not establish a direct link

between exposure to chemicals and the increase in children' s illnesses, it

does point out growing scientific evidence of such a link.

The five worst environmental threats to children's health are

* lead,

* air pollution,

* pesticides,

* environmental tobacco smoke, and

* drinking-water contamination.

In the United States, these five threats affect more children than any

others.

Children are at greater risk from these exposures than are adults. Because

children breathe more air, drink more water, and consume more food relative

to their body weight than do adults, they receive higher doses of

contaminants present in air, food, and water. Also, children are more

susceptible because of the immaturity of their biochemical and physiological

functions. Organs that are not fully developed are vulnerable to injury.

Lead

Though banned from gasoline and paint, lead remains a significant risk to

children. Lead affects virtually every system in the body and is

particularly harmful to the developing brain and nervous systems of fetuses

and young children. Exposure to low levels of lead can decrease IQ, cause

reading and learning disabilities, reduce attention span, and cause

behavioral problems. These effects persist until adulthood and may be

irreversible. The primary sources of exposure are lead in old paint in

homes, lead in dusts and soil from paint chips, industrial emissions, and

lead in drinking water from pipes. In the United States, 900,000 children

under six years of age are estimated to have blood lead levels higher than

the " level of concern " set by the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention. Lead poisoning, however, is entirely preventable. Parents can

have their children tested for lead poisoning by a physician and have their

homes evaluated for lead-based paint and plumbing hazards. During repainting

or remodeling projects, care should be taken not to create lead dust.

Air Pollution

Common air pollutants such as ozone, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides,

and sulfur dioxides are associated with increased respiratory illnesses and

symptoms, aggravation of asthma, and decreases in lung function in children.

One recent study found an association between particulate air pollution and

an increased risk of infant mortality. In 1995, about 18 million children

under 10 years of age lived in areas with air quality that did not meet

federal standards. The major sources of air pollution include motor

vehicles; consumer products; and stationary point sources such as

coal-burning power plants, refineries, industrial facilities, incinerators,

and metal smelters.

Pesticides

Pesticides have been associated with the development of certain cancers in

children, including leukemia, sarcomas, and brain tumors. Many classes of

pesticides have been shown to adversely affect the developing nervous system

of experimental animals. Parental exposure to pesticides has been linked

with birth defects in children. New studies suggest that pesticides may

compromise the immune system of infants and children. Children are exposed

to pesticides at home, at school, in playgrounds and parks, in food, and in

water. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently found pesticides in 65

percent of nearly 7,000 fruit and vegetable samples tested (65 different

pesticides were detected). Eighty-five percent of households stored at least

one pesticide, and 47 percent of homes with children under five years of age

store pesticides within reach of the children.

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) contains more than 40 substances that are

known to cause cancer in human beings or animals. Annually, ETS is

responsible for an estimated 150,000 to 300,000 lower-respiratory tract

infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis in children under 18 months of

age, resulting in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations each year. ETS worsens

asthma in 200,000 to one million children each year. ETS also has been found

to induce asthma in children and to increase the risk of sudden infant death

syndrome. Forty percent of children under 11 years of age live in homes with

at least one smoker. Eight million children under five years of age are

exposed to cigarette smoke in the home, and more than one million children

become regular smokers themselves each year.

Drinking-Water Contamination

Between 1994 and 1995, 45 million Americans drank water from systems that

fell short of the standards set by the Safe Drinking Water Act. Children are

at particular risk from drinking-water contaminants, not only because they

consume two and a half times more water than adults relative to their body

weight, but also because federal standards for pollutants are based on

anticipated effects on adults. Many americans consume tap water containing

microorganisms, trihalomethanes, arsenic, radon, lead, and pesticides. The

quality of bottled water is not necessarily any better.

Children of Color

As a group, children of color are at greatest risk from environmental

threats. More African-American and Hispanic children than white children

have unacceptable levels of lead in their blood. More African-American and

Hispanic children suffer from asthma and are therefore especially vulnerable

to the effects of air pollution. Children of farm workers are more likely to

be exposed to pesticides because they may accompany their parents to work in

the fields and live in housing exposed to pesticide drift from nearby

fields.

Recommendations

Steps that parents can take to reduce their children's exposure to

environmental toxins include

* testing drinking water,

* running water for 30 seconds when a faucet has been unused for several

hours (to reduce lead exposure),

* checking air pollution levels and limiting children's outdoor exercise

when smog levels are high,

* buying organically grown food,

* eliminating the use of pesticides around the home,

* working with school boards to reduce use of pesticides around schools, and

* avoiding smoking and smokers.

Also, measures can be undertaken at all levels of government ranging from

the federal to the community. The most effective ways to decrease children's

exposure are to

* set quantifiable exposure reduction targets and measure progress toward

these goals;

* increase the public's right to know about children's exposure to

environmental hazards, thereby giving manufacturers an incentive to develop

safer products;

* revise existing federal regulatory standards (and state regulations where

applicable) to adequately reflect children's differential exposure and

susceptibility;

* improve risk assessment to take into account children's unique

vulnerabilities;

* expand scientific research on children's environmental health; and

* evaluate community efforts to protect children from environmental threats.

Other Hazards

In the last 50 years, more than 75,000 new chemicals have been introduced

into the environment. Besides the five worst environmental threats discussed

above, there are other hazards - such as the accumulation of PCBs in fish.

Evidence also is emerging about newly identified threats (e.g., endocrine

disrupters, which alter hormone functions).

(Source: " Our Children at Risk, " National Resources Defense Council, World

Wide Web. For a web site address, see the Environmental Health- 'Net section

on page 48.)

COPYRIGHT 1998 National Environmental Health Association

The five worst environmental threats to children's health.., Vol. 60,

Journal of Environmental Health, 05-01-1998, pp 46(2).