Chemical Soup in Canadian Childern
CP
Ottawa [!-- /dateline --]— A national research project has found children contaminated by a cocktail of toxic chemicals ranging from PCBs to flame retardants. In some cases, they have higher levels of toxins than their parents, says a report by Toronto-based Environmental Defence, on what is thought to be the first study of pollution levels in Canadian youth.
The study found an average of 23 known or suspected toxins – including carcinogens, hormone disrupters and neurotoxins – in the blood and urine of seven children from five families living across the country.
The researchers tested 13 individuals from five families, six adults and seven children. The families live in Vancouver, Toronto, Sarnia, Montreal and Quispamsis, N.B.
"Our children are being poisoned every day by toxic chemicals that surround them at home, school and play," said Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence.
The adults were contaminated by 32 chemicals, and had higher concentrations of some products no longer in use, such as DDT and PCBs.
The children, however, had higher levels of newer chemicals such as brominated flame retardants (PBDEs) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is used in stain repellants and non-stick coatings.
"It is common to expect adults to be more contaminated by harmful chemicals than children because they have had a longer time to accumulate chemicals in their bodies," the report says.
"The results of this study, however, show that this is not always the case."
A decreased presence of banned chemicals in children is evidence that bans do work, the report says. Effects linger long after a chemical is removed from use – DDT was banned years ago but can still be detected in children as young as 10.
Health Canada responded to the findings by promising a national study, beginning next year, to monitor body levels of toxic chemicals.
"The government of Canada takes very seriously the exposure of Canadians to environmental chemicals," Health Canada spokeswoman Carolyn Sexauer said.
She said children are at greater risk of contamination than adults because of their physical size, immature organs, physiology, behaviour, curiosity and lack of knowledge.
Vivian Maraghi, a study volunteer from Montreal, said she was astounded to learn she had 36 industrial chemicals in her body.
"But when I saw the toxic chemicals in my son's body, I was angry. Our children deserve better protection."
Environmental Defence said Canada's regulation of toxic chemicals is weak and ineffective. Similar levels of contamination, however, have been found in the United States.
Many chemicals now on the market were never screened for health effects because they were introduced before awareness of the hazards of industrial pollution.
