Kids and Chemicals Don’t Mix

It is no surprise to learn that children are most at risk from exposures to toxic chemicals, but what is a surprise is that one of the most toxic environments for children can sadly be their own home.

Since the boom time for synthetic chemicals in the 1940s, people have been exposed to more chemicals than during any other time in history. Indoor chemical pollution in our homes, schools and cars is now among the top five environmental risks to public health. Tens of thousands of chemicals are used in everything including furniture, clothing, electrical equipment, plastic goods, toys, carpets, glues, paints and varnishes, food, cleaners and personal care products.

Intuitively we know children need to be protected from chemicals, but it is the invisible and insidious nature of many chemical pollutants that makes them difficult to control. While it’s true there are many chemicals we have little personal control over, like air pollution outside or contamination from factories and even pesticides in the paddocks, there is plenty we can do at home to considerably reduce the chemical burden on children.

Ideally we shouldn’t have to agonise over which shampoo or toothpaste is less toxic to children, but the fact is toxic chemicals have found their way into every facet of our lives and you practically need a degree in biochemistry to navigate your way through the toxic maze.

While busy parents and carers justifiably bridle at the idea of yet another thing that needs to be kept in check, it is vital that we take stock of the toxic chemicals in our homes and lives because they can have profound effects on children’s health and behaviour at very low levels.

Developing a better understanding of why children are so vulnerable to chemical exposures can help when it comes to making decisions about the products you buy and the things you do around the home. Children are not simply ‘little adults’ in terms of their reactions to chemicals; they have unique sensitivities and choices need to be made with their wellbeing uppermost at all times.

As children grow older and are off doing their own thing it’s not always possible to ensure they are protected from chemical exposures. Even sending them off to child-care and school can bring chemical hazards like pesticide treatments, renovations and unflued gas heaters.

Coming to terms with chemicals and their health impacts does involve some technical know-how and the unpronounceable names can be off-putting. Perhaps one of the biggest hurdles is the feeling of disempowerment many people have in the face of the enormous pressure put on us to buy a myriad of products with long lists of chemical ingredients that we are reassured are ‘safe’.

When it comes to chemicals, however, our intuition and a precautionary approach must prevail. There is not the time, nor the resources to wait for conclusive proof that this or that chemical causes damage to children. The adage ‘if in doubt don’t do it’ is most appropriate.

Who says it’s ‘safe’?

It’s a commonly held belief that chemicals and products are extensively tested and wouldn’t be sold or used unless they were ‘safe’. Yet, so often chemicals once proclaimed ‘safe’ are later banned because of their unanticipated harmful effects. You might be familiar with examples such as asbestos, DDT, lead, cigarettes, dioxin, PCBs, thalidomide, mercury and even HRT.

A range of professionals also argue that fluoride is in this same category. While health departments and dental associations claim it to be safe, there is credible peer reviewed research pointing to a range of serious health impacts from fluoride exposure such as dental and skeletal fluorosis, osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and thyroid damage.1 Fluoride chemicals are also contaminated with dangerous heavy metals such as lead. So despite fluoride’s potential beneficial effects there are also significant risks, especially to infants and young children.

A whole new generation of Persistent Organic Pollutants, or POPs, have been identified as ‘poisons without passports’ — they travel the globe affecting people and the environment in far away places that don’t even use the chemicals. Global campaigns are underway to rid the planet of toxic chemicals such as dioxins, brominated flame-retardants, perfluorochemicals and phthalates.

The disturbing fact is that a large percentage of chemicals in our daily life have never been extensively tested, many are not safe, and, the vast majority have never been thoroughly assessed for their long-term impacts on children’s health. One thing is certain — we need to get off this chemical treadmill because it is unsustainable and is affecting the health of generations to come.

Despite reassurances from industry and governments, the Australian regulator of industrial chemicals, the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS), recently stated there are ‘38,000 industrial chemicals in use, the majority of which have not been assessed for health, safety and environmental risks. A recent analysis by the European Union estimated that some 75% of all industrial chemicals traded globally lack adequate health, safety and/or environmental information’.2

Chemicals show up in biomonitoring surveys

The world’s first comprehensive blood monitoring survey for chemicals has shown that for some newer chemicals the extent of contamination in younger generations can equal or exceed that of their elders. This very disturbing finding by the European Family Biomonitoring Survey, shows that even chemicals which have long been banned, are still circulating in our blood and will do so for years to come.

Three generations were tested for 107 different chemicals and every family member from grandmothers to children, were contaminated with a cocktail of up to 18 different synthetic chemicals.

Even breast milk, the most profoundly nourishing and important food for children, has toxic chemicals in it. An Australian breast milk survey found concerning levels of persistent bioaccumulative toxins such as brominated flame-retardants, the polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), dioxins and organochlorines in pooled samples of breast milk from rural and urban areas.4 Other studies have found significant levels of triclosan, a commonly used household antibacterial agent added to a wide range of products (including some toothpaste) and clothing, in breast milk samples.

It is important to stress that despite any chemical contamination, breastfeeding is best and should always be encouraged. The important issue is to demand that chemicals ending up in women’s breast milk, in any amount, should immediately be banned and removed from the market.

Children and chemicals

The pattern of childhood diseases has changed in over-industrialised countries as older infectious diseases have given way to more chronic and disabling illnesses such as asthma, allergies, behavioural disorders, immune problems and even childhood cancers. Researchers are increasingly looking at environmental factors such as chemicals that might be the causes or triggers of such conditions.

International health agencies such as the World Health Organisation recognise that children are the most vulnerable to chemical exposures and various global projects are underway to find ways to rapidly reduce children’s exposures to chemicals.

While acute poisoning of children with household chemicals is still among the top reasons why children are admitted to hospital, what is also coming under the spotlight is the effect of low-level exposure to a multitude of chemicals and the impacts this can have on children’s health, behaviour and ability to learn.

Exposing children to very low levels of lead, for instance, has profound impacts on their IQ scores. Pre- and perinatal smoking and children’s exposure to environmental tobacco smoke has been associated with behavioural problems and neurocognitive decrements in children.

Studies have also found children’s exposure to low levels of pesticides from food and residues around the home and local environment can impact on their ability to concentrate and reduce their stamina. A great deal of concern has been about the negative impacts of artificial food additives and colourings on children’s behaviour and health.

Serious concerns are emerging about the link between children’s exposure to toxic chemicals like pesticides and industrial pollutants and the rising rates of some childhood cancers such as brain cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and acute lymphocytic leukemia.5 Some studies have suggested that the risk of developing cancer might be higher when exposure to carcinogens begins at conception or in childhood.

Developmental stages and children’s susceptibility

Embryos and foetus

Prolific cell growth during this period leads to higher risk of cellular mutations as a result of chemical exposures.
The placenta does not fully protect the foetus from exposure to all chemicals; eg carbon monoxide, ethanol and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) all cross the placenta.

Newborns

Lung fluid is rapidly cleared by the pulmonary lymphatic system so there is increased absorption of airborne chemicals.
The gastrointestinal tract has a high permeability for breast milk, so ingestion of contaminates from breast milk, water and formulas is increased.

Baby skin is highly permeable and can absorb up to three times the amount of a chemical compared to an adult for the same area of skin.

Early childhood

The nervous system is developed during the first years of life and doesn’t have the ability to repair structural damage. Children are therefore at higher risk during this time from exposure to neurotoxic chemicals such as lead and mercury.

In relation to their body weight, young children eat more food, drink more water and breathe more air than adults, so are exposed to more chemicals from these sources such as pesticide residues and food additives.

Generally children are less able to metabolise chemicals because their metabolic pathways for detoxification are not fully matured.

Children are physically closer to the ground so are exposed to chemicals that settle in their breathing zone.

Children’s hand-to-mouth behaviour brings them into contact with chemicals such as plasticisers, flame-retardants, pesticide residues and heavy metals found in dust, soil, carpets and on contaminated surfaces.

School age and adolescents

Exploration of new things and environments brings children into contact with different types of chemical exposures such as personal care products, art and craft materials and pesticide residues on sports fields.

Children are spending more time at school where they may be exposed to chemicals in the school grounds or in classrooms.
Adolescents are vulnerable to chemical exposures because their organs and body systems are undergoing final maturation, especially the reproductive system, skeleton and muscles.

Children spend a lot of their time in child-care and at school so it is important that messages to reduce chemical exposures also reach their teachers and carers. There is a lot we can do to reduce children’s exposure and our actions will send a message to regulators and manufacturers that we want our children to grow and thrive in a toxic-free environment.

Dioxins, furans and PCBs

By-products of PVC production, industrial bleaching and incineration. The effects of dioxins can include diseases of the immune system, reproductive and developmental disorders, as well as cancers. Women are particularly impacted and exposure has been implicated in endometriosis and increased breast cancer rates. It can be passed on to future generations via breast milk. Studies have linked prenatal exposure to PCBs and dioxins with developmental and immune impacts in children.

Brominated Flame-Retardants

Used in a wide range of products including plastics for computer casings, white goods, car interiors, carpets and carpet underlay, polyurethane foams in furniture and bedding. One form of Brominated Flame-Retardants, polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), has been found to disrupt thyroid hormones, mimic oestrogen, and is linked with cancer and reproductive damage. PBDEs have been found in the dust of homes and offices and in biomonitoring surveys of blood and breast milk.

Perfluorochemicals

Perfluorooctanoic acids (PFOA) are used in the manufacture of clothing, cosmetics and in the production of fluoropolymers for ‘non-stick’ coatings on cookware. PFOAs can also form as degradation products of small polymers called Telomers used in fire fighting foams and stain resistant coatings on carpets, textiles, paper, and leather. PFOS (Perfluorooctane sulfonate) is highly bio-accumulative and has been shown to cause cancer, liver damage and development and reproductive effects. All perfluorochemicals have the potential to degrade back to the dangerous PFOS form.

Phthalates

Phthalates are used in personal care products such as perfumes and lotions; they are found in toys and teething rings and intravenous hospital tubing. Some phthalates are hormone disruptors, immunotoxins, cancer promoters and are reproductive and developmental toxins. Di-Ethyl Hexyl Phthalate (DEHP) is found in wall coverings, tablecloths, floor tiles, shower curtains, baby pants and has been classified as a ‘probable human carcinogen’. Bisphenol A leaches out of polycarbonate plastics used in the resin lining of tinned foods, baby bottles and dental sealants and in tiny amounts have been found to alter female brains.

Adapted from ‘Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxins’, National Toxics Network www.oztoxics.org/ntn/

Creating a Healthy Environment for Children

While we are all faced with big challenges to remove toxic chemicals from global circulation and to reduce children’s exposure to chemicals, you can start the process in your own home today.

Here are some simple and effective steps to reduce children’s chemical exposure in the home:

1. Green your cleaning: Petroleum-based cleaners contain many potentially dangerous chemicals. Review your cleaning needs, bypass the chemical aisle and switch to plant-based and natural cleaning products for the kitchen, laundry and bathroom. Soap and water and sunshine are the most effective antibacterial agents while vinegar and bicarb soda are cheap and effective cleansers.

2. Go organic: Children are at risk from pesticide residues in food, artificial colours, flavours and preservatives. Wherever possible give them local, organically grown, fresh whole foods, especially fruit and vegetables and anything they eat or drink in large amounts. Aim to at least have 80% of their diet organic. Avoid plastic wrapping, containers, drink bottles and cling wrap. Choose natural fibre clothing wherever possible. If you suspect your children have food allergies or intolerances or want to know more about the effects of artificial colours, flavours and preservatives, see Sue Dengate’s excellent site for the Food Intolerance Network, www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info.

3. Use natural personal care products: This is an important area because these products are laden with toxic chemicals and are put directly on the skin and in the mouth. Do a checklist of your personal care products and reduce them where you can. Genuine plant-based and herbal options are readily available for toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, soap and deodorants. Ask yourself whether it’s worth the risk if you wear a synthetic perfume or aftershave. It’s not just affecting you, but also those close to you. Beware of children’s make-up kits, nail polish and hair care products which may contain chemicals that are highly toxic to them. For a comprehensive approach to head lice treatment the program detailed at www.headlice.org is highly recommended.

4. Renovate and decorate with natural or low toxic materials: Building and decorating materials can introduce numerous toxic chemicals which can linger for years. Nurseries and children’s rooms should be low toxic as they spend many hours in them. For paints, sealants, finishes etc there are good ranges of plant-chemistry products or look for water-based low or no emission products. Avoid synthetic foam insulation and furnishings and reconstituted wood products, which emit volatile organic compounds.

Carpets are not recommended as they usually come with chemical treatments to repel stains, grease and pests, the underlays are applied with strong glues and synthetic carpet materials can emit dangerous chemicals such as isocynates and vinyl acetate. Natural fibre floor coverings such as jute or sisal and wool throw rugs are better options. Avoid furniture, mattresses, curtains and coverings which have been treated with fire-retardants and stain resistant coatings. Untreated natural fibres such as hemp, organic cotton and wool and rubber are safer choices.

5. Manage pests naturally: Pesticides are among some of the most dangerous chemicals for children to be exposed to. Remove any synthetic pesticides, especially aerosols and plug-in pesticides which leave invisible residues on surfaces and floors where children come into contact with them. Do not have regular pesticide treatments to your home or garden. Insect screens, mosquito nets, natural repellents and clothing are safer options. When using pesticides on pets, keep children away from the pet and have them wash their hands after they have touched the pet. Keep good levels of hygiene in problem areas like the kitchen, seal cracks and crevices, put weather strips under doors and use the vacuum cleaner to manage indoor pests.

Neurological effects on Children

Human Studies Reports of the neurological evaluation of children exposed to pesticides are few and are usually limited to the acute effects of exposures. However, a recent study of children in Mexico, who are regularly exposed to a mixture of pesticides in their largely agricultural community, suggests that many different brain functions may be impaired by pesticide exposure during child development.

Researchers compared two different groups of four- to five-year-old children who came from very similar genetic, social, and cultural backgrounds. However, one group lived in a community where pesticides were regularly used in agriculture, whereas the other came from a community with a non-chemical agricultural system. A variety of organochlorine pesticides were measured in the umbilical cord blood and breast milk of individuals in the pesticide-exposed community, though exposure to other classes of pesticides were also likely.

Children in the exposed community showed significantly diminished stamina and coordination when asked to catch a ball, stand on one foot as long as possible, jump in place, and drop raisins into a bottle cap from a distance of 15 cm. Memory in the pesticide-exposed children was also impaired. They were less able to recall what they had been promised as a reward (a red balloon) before testing started.

Exposed children were also impaired in their ability to draw recognisable representations of people and objects. When asked to draw a person, exposed children averaged 1.6 body parts/drawing in drawings considerably more distorted than those of the unexposed children that averaged 4.4 body parts/drawing. Houses and trees drawn by pesticide-exposed children were also more distorted and difficult to interpret. Exposed children appeared to be less creative in their play activity.

Excerpted from In Harm’s Way: Toxic Threats to Child Development. Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility, May 2000.

You can download a free copy of the report at http://psr.igc.org/ihw-download-report.htm

The Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility (GBPSR) website also has a wealth of information and support including a paediatric tool kit (soon downloadable), and a parent resource centre, see www.psr.igc.org/ped-toolkit-parents.htm

References:

(1) See National Academies of Science, Board of Environmental Studies and Toxicology (2006) ‘Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA’s Standards’.
(2) National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (2006) ‘Promoting safer chemical use: towards better regulation of chemicals in Australia’, National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme www.nicnas.gov.au
(3) WWF-UK (2005) ‘Generations X: European Family Biomonitoring Survey’, www.wwf.org.uk/chemicals/biotour.asp
(4) Harden, F., Muller, J., and Toms, L. (2005) ‘Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs) and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in the Australian Population: Levels in Human Milk’, Environment and Heritage Council.
(5) Mt Sinai School of Medicine, Centre for Children’s Health and the Environment,
www.childenvironment.org

Useful Resources:

Jo Immig, ‘Toxic Playground: a guide to reducing the chemical load in schools and childcare centres’ & ‘Safer Solutions: Integrated pest management for schools and child care centres’.
TEACH: a new searchable database containing overviews of scientific literature in the field of children’s environmental health risks from chemical exposure. www.epa.gov/teach/
Children’s Environmental Health Network www.cehn.org
National Toxics Network, Children’s Environmental Health Campaign, www.oztoxics.org/ntn/

Published in byronchild/Kindred, Issue 19, September 06

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