Children at Risk

SOME KNOWN HEALTH EFFECTS FOUND IN CHILDREN EXPOSED TO PESTICIDES

Brain and nervous system development are affected by organophosphates commonly found in such insecticides as Diazinon and Malathion, and in herbicides containing Glyphosate. The insecticide Chlorpyrifos has been implicated in birth defects.

Asthma is significantly associated with the use of carbamates found in such insecticides as Aldicarb, Basudin and Carbaryl. Also linked to these chemicals are miscarriages following prenatal exposure by either parent.

Childhood leukemia and brain cancer are linked organochlorines like DDT, Aldrin, Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and Lindane.

Toxic encephalopathy and seizures can result from the use of amides such as DEET, an insect repellant, which is sprayed on skin, clothing, pets, tents, screens, sleeping bags, etc.

Delayed fetal development, toxic injury to liver, kidney and central nervous system, and high rates of birth defects are linked to the use of (chlor) phenoxy chemicals like 2,4-D. This herbicide has been widely used in agriculture and has commonly been found in home & garden products.

Skin disorders, liver and testes damage result from contact with such fungicides as Benomyl, Captan and methyl mercury. Some of these preparations are used on field crops, fruits, nuts, ornamentals, mushrooms and turf.

Other health problems found in children exposed to pesticides include: Attention Deficit Disorder, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, learning disabilities and a variety of behaviour problems.

Unfulfilled Commitments in Canada

In 1997 Canada signed the Declaration of the Environment Leaders of the Eight on Children’s Environmental Health, thereby pledging to establish national policies regarding environmental hazards which “…take into account the specific exposure pathways and dose-response characteristics of children when conducting environmental risk assessments and setting protective standards.”

However, this Declaration is one of the many commitments made during the 1990s which have so far remained unfulfilled.

On February 14, 2001 Bill C-267 (The Pest Control Act) was introduced in the House of Commons. This Act is intended to place a moratorium on the cosmetic (non-essential) use of chemical pesticides until scientific evidence shows convincingly that such products do not endanger the health of Canadians. Bill C-267 would remove the burden of proof from citizens, who currently must prove such chemicals to be unsafe in order to have them banned. The burden of proof would by law be shifted to manufacturers, who would be required by legislation to prove their products’ safety before they could be offered for sale.

CHILDREN’S SPECIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY TO PESTICIDE POISONING

Physiological:
Children’s exposure to environmental contaminants including pesticides begins in utero: many chemicals are able to cross the placenta and alter the course of a fetus’ development. A child’s major organs, body structures, and nervous and reproductive systems are especially sensitive during the pre-natal stages of development.

Several organs and physiological systems undergo extensive growth after birth, and are particularly sensitive to environmental toxins throughout childhood. The brain, central nervous system and lungs are especially at risk during a child’s development. The mechanisms that normally help protect the body from chemical invasion, such as the immune, excretory and detoxifying systems, are also underdeveloped and therefore not strong enough to protect the organs at risk.

Children breathe in and out more rapidly than adults. Every minute they exchange more air per kilogram of body weight than adults, which results in a relatively higher intake of both air and air pollutants.

A child’s skin is more permeable that that of adults. Kilogram for kilogram, a child’s body absorbs more contaminants that come into contact with the skin than does the adult body.

Relative to body weight, children eat more food and drink more liquids, which results in higher ingestion rates of contaminants present.

Behavioral:
Children are enormously curious about their environment and like to explore. They travel widely through their neighbourhoods and play areas. Children are therefore often exposed to more varieties and concentrations of pesticides than adults.

Children touch many different surfaces, then put their hands to their faces and into their mouths many times every day. This increases the amount of toxin they take in through nose, mouth and skin.

TYPICAL SOURCES OF EXPOSURE FOR CANADIAN CHILDREN

Air:
Children inhale, and absorb through their skin, airborne chemicals that are present in their environment, both indoor and out.

Outdoors, children are exposed to herbicides, insecticides and fungicides that have been applied to lawns, gardens and building foundations in their neighbourhoods.

Indoor exposure to environmental toxins is greater when ventilation is inadequate. This is especially true of smaller children who play on the floor, where chemical concentrations are highest.

Water:
Children absorb water-borne contaminants through their skin while washing, swimming or playing in water. They also ingest toxins directly by drinking water which has been inadequately filtered.

Irrigation runoff from pesticide-treated agricultural fields may leach into groundwater sources and contaminate well water.

Soil & Dust:
Children at play or helping out in the garden will absorb a higher concentration of pesticide residue present in soil and sand than will adults, because their skin is more permeable.

There is also danger of ingestion or inhaling toxins from soil dust carried in air. Dust particles from contaminated soil can settle on household surfaces and products on which young children chew or put into their mouths.

Food:
Food growing in pesticide-contaminated soil or using contaminated water will transmit chemicals to humans. Agricultural food products may harbour pesticide residues. The secondary products made with commercially grown fruits & vegetables (like baby foods) may contain trace elements of several different pesticides.

Fish and animals may have ingested chemicals from water or from organisms lower on the food chain: these are passed along to humans who eat them.

Household Surfaces:
Even when used according to manufacturers’ instructions, in-door pesticides deposit residues on toys and other absorbent household surfaces (including furniture, drapes, carpets and pillows) days after the chemical is initially applied. Children touching these articles or putting them into their mouths take in toxins orally and dermally.

Primary Source: ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARD SETTING AND CHILDREN’S HEALTH
A Children’s Health Project report published by:
The Canadian Environmental Law Association and
The Ontario College of Family Physicians Environmental Health Committee
Toronto, 2000
(Full text of study accessible at www.cela.ca)