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Chemical regulation changes urged to diminish pediatric brain disorders
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Recent data suggest that changes must be made to current chemical risk procedures to protect children from everyday toxins that have been linked to brain development disorders.
Growing evidence significantly links childhood exposure to hazardous chemicals such as mercury, lead, and certain solvents and pesticides to an increased risk for brain development disorders.
A study published in The Lancet Neurology re-examines the correlation between chemicals used in everyday items, such as clothing, furniture and toys, and neurodevelopmental disorders among children.
“The vast majority of the more than 80,000 industrial chemicals in widespread use in the United States have never been tested for their toxic effects on the developing fetus or child. Exposure to these chemicals during early development can cause brain injury at levels much lower than those affecting adults,” study researcher Philippe Grandjean, MD, of the Harvard School of Public Health, said in a press release.
Study findings show that the number of known chemical causes of neurodevelopmental disorders increased from six to 12 in the past 7 years. Chemicals that damage the human brain and have not been regulated for use among children have increased from 202 to 214.
“The only way to reduce toxic contamination is to ensure mandatory developmental neurotoxicity testing of existing and new chemicals before they come into the marketplace,” study researcher Philip Landrigan, MD, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said in the release.
Grandjean and Landrigan said chemical producers, rather than the government, should be responsible for ensuring their products are low risk. Implementing an international regulation agency that guarantees the proper steps are taken before releasing a chemical into the market could diminish the “silent epidemic” of brain developmental disorders in children.
“Our very great concern is that children worldwide are being exposed to unrecognized toxic chemicals that are silently eroding intelligence, disrupting behaviors, truncating future achievements, and damaging societies, perhaps more seriously in developing countries,” Grandjean and colleagues concluded.
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