Toxic Nation | Pollution. It's In You.

A consensus statement signed by over 50 international health professionals and scientists from the Collaborative on Health and the Environment’s Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative shows us a summary of concerns associated with learning and developmental disabilities. According to the experts, children are more susceptible to the negative effects of toxic chemicals.

The report brings together the information of over 200 scientific studies on synthetic chemicals we are exposed to everyday. The consensus statement explains “there is good evidence that about 200 of these chemicals are adult neurotoxicants and another 1,000 are suspected of affecting the nervous system.”

They list alcohol, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), arsenic, mercury, manganese, PAHs, pesticides, and tobacco smoke as “conclusively shown” to affect the developing nervous system and cause a range of performance deficits.

They list a number of toxins that are of “significant concern”: endocrine disruptors (including phthalates, PCBs and polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, brominated flame retardants, dioxins, DDT, perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), organochlorine pesticides, bisphenol A and some metals), fluoride, food additives (tartrazine, sunset yellow etc.)

Also, the report explains that new research is filling the gaps where we did not know the effects of chemical contaminants.  The report states that, “we now have solid scientific evidence that a variety of environmental agents can adversely affect the nervous system,” and that “a child’s developing nervous system is more sensitive to chemical exposure than the adult nervous system.”

“Given the established knowledge, protecting children from neurotoxic environmental exposures from the earliest stages of fetal development clearly is an essential public health measure if we are to help prevent learning and developmental disorders and create an environment in which children can reach and maintain their full potential.”

Roman Bystrianyk, "Learning and Developmental Disabilities Linked to Environmental Toxins", Health Sentinel, February 25, 2008

Cassandra