A Simon Fraser University researcher says more attention needs to be paid to the impact of low-level toxins on the health and development of children, in particular, their brains.
Bruce Lanphear, who is an expert on children’s environmental health, has produced a short video showing the cumulative impact of ongoing toxin exposures. The data, which was taken from a U.S. study, shows how exposure to toxins like lead and flame-retardants, can increase the number of children who are challenged.
“Children are exposed to many toxins and dozens of untested chemicals all the time,” Lanphear said.
“These chemicals can be biologically active at very low levels.”
It’s the accumulative impact of three or four toxins that can be overwhelming and have far-reaching effects on kids, according to the SFU researcher.
While Lanphear admits there is no research in Canada on this issue, he points out that the pattern is likely similar.
He will be presenting his video at the first Prenatal Environmental Health Education Forum next week in Ottawa.
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