Children and Toxins in the Environment

Around the House
Children and Toxins in the Environment
By Libby McDonald
Feb 9, 2008, 01:08

Recently we have been deluged with news stories about environmental threats to children. Coupled with rising rates of childhood maladies, it is no wonder parents feel like throwing up their hands in hopelessness. Without minimizing the seriousness of the toxins that are out there, it is worthwhile to count our blessings and consider some of the good news.

Photo courtesy of Paul Goyette

The number one environmental threat to children is lead. Exposure does not usually come from toys but from lead-based paint released by renovations in old homes. Although we now know there is no safe threshold for lead, lead counts in this country have dropped dramatically since the government banned lead in paint (1978) and lead in gasoline (1991). According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), the average blood lead level in children has come down by approximately 90 percent since the 1970s. Today, the standard count is somewhere between 1.5 and 2 micrograms per deciliter. In short, if you were born before 1978, in all likelihood your children's lead counts are considerably lower than yours were. In addition, a 1997 study by Drs. Jay Schneider and Ted Lidsky suggests that enriched environments can actually protect the brain from the harmful effects of lead. This translates into practical brain-building activities for all children, but especially those that have had some lead exposure.

The second piece of good news is that we parents are not alone. There is a large and effective cohort of scientists who devote themselves to studying this topic and their research consistently produces concrete results. Laws that banned lead and PCBs only came about because the scientific community reached a consensus that these substances were damaging. For a recent example, in 2005 Dr. Thomas Zoeller from the University of Massachusetts published a study in Endocrinology that showed how bisphenol A (a hormone-disruptor found in hard, shiny plastic) hinders brain development in lab animals. Soon after, Assemblywoman Wilma Chan (D-Oakland) introduced the Stop Toxic Toys Bill in California. While the prohibition of BPA has yet to be enacted in California, Dr. Zoeller's research made its way from scientific paper to legislative proposal in a short year.

Finally, the market is ultimately effective in driving out some toxins. Current trends in the food industry show this. The National Grocers Association reports that natural foods are the fastest growing product area in supermarkets, with conventional food companies like Gerber and Frito-Lay joining the trend. Demand is so great that in 2006 Walmart added an organic food section. The movement to manufacture environmentally responsible products goes beyond the food industry. Many companies that manufacture everything from cars, computers, furniture, and clothing are taking the initiative to eliminate suspicious chemicals like bisphenol A (mentioned above), phthalates (hormone-mimickers found in soft plastics), and flame retardants (chemicals suspected of causing cancer) from their products. Some of the forerunners include Ikea, Revlon, Patagonia, Nike, Sony, and Panasonic. With all the environmentally safe options out there, it is now possible for parents to make informed choices, reducing toxins in our homes and in our children's bodies.

It may be that none of this makes it any less harrowing for parents: not only do we live in a world where new toxins are continually unleashed on the environment but we are constantly learning more about the harmful effects of the old toxins. However, as you read the latest reports about environmental contaminants and children's health, keep in mind that the situation is not entirely bleak. If intrepid mothers and fathers, public health scientists, lawmakers, corporate leaders, and environmental advocates continue to pay close enough attention to the kind of chemicals we are dispersing on the environment, our children's children will have the opportunity to play with toys manufactured without lead and drink from water bottles free of hormone mimickers.

About the author: Libby McDonald is the author of THE TOXIC SANDBOX: The Truth About Environmental Toxins and Our Children's Health. Published by Perigee in November, 2007