Contaminated children

Medicine, has developed an instructional video entitled The Decontamination of Children to teach individuals who will need to care for children contaminated with chemicals. This valuable teaching and learning resource can be obtained by contacting AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse (800) 358-9295 ahrqpubs ahrq.gov/. For further discussion, see chapter 15—Unique Needs of Children During Disasters and Other Public Health Emergencies. 

Cohen N, Sasso TL, Wrenn ME. 1979. Metabolism of americium-241 in man An unusual case of internal contamination of a child and his father. Science 206 64-66. 

Pesticides affect children s genes and heredity, and are transferred from mother to child through breast milk. Finally, pesticides are introduced to children by the state and society, through a contaminated environment. 

In the case of noncarcinogenic substances, there exists a threshold this is an exposure with a dose below which there would not be adverse effect on the population that is exposed. This is the reference dose (RfD), and it is defined as the daily exposure of a human population without appreciable effects during a lifetime. The RfD value is calculated by dividing the no observed effect level (NOEL) by uncertainty factors. When NOEL is unknown, the lowest observed effect level (LOEL) is used. NOEL and LOEL are usually obtained in animal studies. The main uncertainty factor, usually tenfold, used to calculate the RfD are the following the variations in interspecies (from animal test to human), presence of sensitive individuals (child and old people), extrapolation from subchronic to chronic, and the use of LOEL instead of NOEL. Noncancer risk is assessed through the comparison of the dose exposed calculated in the exposure assessment and the RfD. The quotient between both, called in some studies as hazard quotient, is commonly calculated (Eq. 2). According to this equation, population with quotient >1 will be at risk to develop some specific effect related to the contaminant of concern. 

Given the widespread use of JP-8 in the military and aviation industry, concern about occupational exposure of women of child-bearing age has emerged as this workforce continues to expand. Furthermore, accidental spills associated with pipelines or storage facilities can contaminate soil or water, posing unpredictable health risks to nearby residential areas. Taken together, these concerns provide adequate basis to investigate the developmental toxicity of JP-8. 

Longer-term Health Adyisory (child adult) Maximum Contaminant Leyel Chloroform Total THM (community and non-transcient, 0.1 mg/L (child 0.4 mg/L (adult) 0.1 mg/L ERA 1994e ERA1994e... 

Reproductive Toxicity. No adverse effects on human reproduction were reported following ingestion of heptachlor-contaminated milk for 27-29 months by women of child-bearing age (Le Marchand et al. 1986). 

Children sometimes put dirt in their mouths. Because the adsorption of 3,3 -dichlorobenzidine to soils and sediments may not be readily reversible (Boyd et al. 1984 Chimg and Boyd 1987 Sikka et al. 1978), the bioavailability of the compound is limited. A child who ingested contaminated dirt would be expected to incur less exposure as compared to that from other, more direct routes. 

The decline in acceptable childhood blood levels was a function of research and improved control of lead contamination, such as the removal of lead from gasoline. A blood lead level of 10 lg/dl does not represent a safe level, only one where it is prudent to take action to reduce exposure. But it must be noted that a level of 10 (Xg/dl is considered an action level and does not provide any margin of safety for a child s developing nervous system. Currently, there appears to be no safe level of lead exposure for the developing child. 

The toxicity of chronic exposure to arsenic is well established and the best recommendation is to avoid arsenic exposure. The most common home exposure is from contaminated drinking water and arsenic-treated lumber. Certain areas of the country have higher levels of arsenic in water. The EPA has lowered arsenic drinking water standards, but water providers have until 2006 to meet the new standards. Avoid inhalation of sawdust from arsenic-treated lumber or inhalation of smoke from burning arsenic-treated wood. And of course always wash your hands. This is particularly important if a young child is playing on arsenic-treated wood. 

Isophorone can enter your body if you breathe its vapor, have skin contact with it, drink contaminated water, or eat contaminated food. If isophorone is present at a waste site near homes that use local wells as a source of water, the well water could be contaminated with isophorone. Experiments in animals show that after doses by mouth, isophorone enters easily and spreads to many organs of the body, but most of it leaves the body within 24 hours in the breath and in urine. Isophorone may enter the lungs of workers exposed to isophorone where it is used indoors as a solvent. Isophorone disappears quickly from outside air, so the chance of breathing outdoor air contaminated with isophorone is small. If isophorone is spilled at a waste site and evaporates, however, a person nearby may breathe isophorone before it disappears from the air. In addition, soil around waste sites may contain isophorone, and a person, such as a child playing in the dirt, may eat or have skin contact with the contaminated soil. How much isophorone enters the body through the skin is not known. More information on how isophorone can enter and leave the body can be found in Chapter 2. 

The accompanying table shows the number of different synthetic chemicals (i.e., either pesticides or industrial chemicals) that were detected in each Market Basket and the average number of contaminants for each child and infant product. 

Most of the child and infant food products have either no chemicals or very low chemical levels, yet 50 percent of all the child/infant products contain multiple chemical contaminates. Those food products with low to moderate chemical levels in this category tend to have moderate to very high levels in the other food categories (i.e., the Protein, Fruit, and Vegetable categories). In other words, it would seem that adult foods with high numbers of chemical contaminants will occur in children s food at relatively higher levels. 

If parents are not satisfied with the level of contaminants in some of the foods tested by the FDA, they have two basic choices. They can either select organic child and infant products or prepare child and infant food from organic products. 

Food Contamination Summary for the Child/lnfant Category... 

The pesticides and industrial chemicals found in child and infant products are given in Exhibit 13. In general, the type and distribution of pesticides and industrial chemicals in child/infant products are somewhat similar to the basic food categories (i.e., dairy, protein, fruit, grain, and vegetable), but their concentrations are significantly different. On average, 45 percent of the child/infant products contain multiple contaminants as well as banned or discontinued pesticides. 

When it comes to your unborn child, it s smart to be suspicious and start living a little more defensively. Since World War II, at least 75,000 new synthetic chemical compounds have been developed and released into the environment. (To find out how toxic your hometown is, go to Scorecard.org and type in your ZIP code. Very satisfying—if you happen to live in Marin County, California.) In her amazing book Living Downstream, ecologist, author, and cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber offers a wealth of evidence linking cancer and environmental contamination. 

A child playing on a playground contaminated by lead shows elevated levels of carboxyhemoglobin. 

Renal Effects. A child who played in a sand box contaminated with waste oils containing... 

---