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Kilogram for kilogram, children drink more water, eat more food, and breathe more air than adults. This means that children have a disproportionately higher exposure to environmental contaminants in water, food, air, and soil. Children can also be exposed to contaminants in the womb, through breast milk, and certain consumer products such as toys. Their natural exploratory behaviour also places them at greater risk of exposure. Children put things in their mouth and they play on or close to the ground where contaminants tend to concentrate.
In addition to a greater risk of exposure, children have important biological differences. Their organs and tissues are still developing and so their ability to metabolize, detoxify and excrete many toxicants is different from that of adults. Therefore, their immature organs may be less effective at protecting them from toxic exposures and effects. Infant kidneys, for example, cannot excrete certain foreign compounds as quickly as adult kidneys.
Today's children are just beginning a lifetime of exposure to cumulative environmental hazards, the likes of which no other generation has experienced. They have more future years ahead of them in which they can develop chronic diseases that may be triggered by early exposures. This means that the health consequences of exposure to environmental contaminants now may have impacts throughout their lifetime.
Addressing Children's Environmental Health
Hand in hand. Photo: Health Canada.
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There is a growing recognition that environmental contaminants are a contributory factor to many of the leading causes of illnesses, hospitalization and death of Canadian children, including respiratory infections, asthma, cancer, low birth weight and birth defects. But there are many gaps in our understanding of children's environmental health issues. For example, we know very little about the levels and combinations of contaminants to which children are exposed, or the direct health outcomes, given that there is often a lag time before symptoms present themselves.
Effectively addressing children's environmental health issues requires the involvement and participation of many sectors of society, ranging from health care practitioners and care givers to environmental groups and parents. Health Canada and Environment Canada recently co-hosted the Canadian Children's Environmental Health Research Workshop where participants discussed children's environmental health research priorities.
The Canadian Institute of Child Health is building the policy capacity of health care professionals, children's organizations, and aboriginal and environmental groups across Canada to address children's environmental health issues.
Another significant step that has been taken by the Government of Canada to protect children's health from environmental risks is the recent tabling of the new Pest Control Product Act. The new Act would codify current practices that require the special consideration of children's sensitivities and protect children's health from exposure to products controlled under the Act.
An International Agenda
Canadian children are not immune to environmental contaminants that come from abroad. Issues such as the long-range transport of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) pose a risk to Canadians in addition to problems of a global nature such as climate change and ultraviolet radiation.
Most recently, children were a key focus during discussions at the meeting of Health and Environment Ministers of the Americas (HEMA) and at the 2002 G8 Environment Ministers meeting. In preparation for the G8 meeting and in view of the importance that Canada places on children's environmental health, Environment Canada commissioned a Status Report on the Implementation of the 1997 Declaration of the Environment Leaders of the G8 on Children's Environmental Health.
Within North America, through the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, Mexico, the United States and Canada have resolved to develop a cooperative agenda to protect children's health from environmental threats. They identified asthma and the effects of toxic substances, including lead poisoning, as a primary focus. Increasing public awareness and providing parents and communities with information on environmental threats to their children's health, are also a priority.
As world leaders prepare to reconvene in South Africa at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in August, environment and human health has been identified as an issue for discussion. Canada's approach at WSSD will be to promote the linkages between health and the environment and the need to build capacity to address environmental risks to human health. In doing so, Canada will also emphasize the need to protect vulnerable populations, particularly children.
Known Hazards and Potential Health Effects
Lead: Even with the removal of leaded gasoline, there is still potential for exposure through leaded paint and other consumer products such as crayons and costume jewelry. The effects of lead exposure can range from kidney damage, impaired growth, and learning disabilities at low levels to seizures and unconsciousness at high levels of exposure.
Outdoor and Indoor Air Quality: There is no safe level of exposure to some air contaminants. Of particular concern are: sulphur dioxide, acid aerosols, particulate matter, ground level ozone, and nitrogen oxides. Children spend 90 per cent of their time indoors where they can be exposed to off-gasing building materials, upholstery, furnishing, appliance, cleaning agents, solvents and pesticides. The adverse respiratory effects from exposure to a variety of contaminants both indoors and outdoors, range from a sore throat to increase cough and wheeze, asthma attacks and hospital visits, and possibly a permanent reduction in lung capacity later in life.
Toxicants: Children exposed in utero or following birth to pesticides, POPs, heavy metals and other chemicals may face disruption of their endocrine systems, stunted growth, mental disability and other neurobehavioral and developmental effects.
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