Neurotoxic chemicals causing silent pandemic of preventable disabilities in ch

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http://www.newstarget.com/021134.html

 

 

Neurotoxic chemicals causing " silent pandemic " of preventable

disabilities in children

Monday, November 20, 2006 by: Jessica Fraser

 

 

(NewsTarget) Industrial chemicals are hindering children's

development, lowering IQ scores and triggering attention and behavior

disorders, according to a new study by researchers from the Harvard

School of Public Health.

 

The study, published in The Lancet, warns that 201 chemicals that can

have neurotoxic effects on the public -- and on children in particular

-- lack sufficient safety regulation. According to the study's lead

author, Dr. Philippe Grandjean, such chemicals are causing " a silent

pandemic in modern society, " and millions of children may have already

been affected by exposure to industrial toxins.

 

" About half of the 201 chemicals that we list are high-volume

production chemicals, " Grandjean said, including tin and aluminum

compounds, solvents such as acetone and benzene, and dozens of pesticides.

 

According to Grandjean's study, one in six children currently suffers

from a developmental disability, such as learning problems or sensory

difficulties. Recent evidence has found that industrial chemicals

contribute to such disorders, and are not regulated to specifically

protect children, as lead and mercury are.

 

The Lancet report explains that children's brain development in the

womb is highly complex, and growth must occur within " tightly

controlled " time frames, in which certain developmental stages must be

reached on schedule.

 

During this development, exposure to toxic chemicals can easily

interfere with the process, which can have permanent effects,

Grandjean said.

 

The report compiled a list of 201 chemicals that are toxic to the

human brain, though Grandjean says there are probably many more.

 

" The 200 other chemicals that are known to be toxic to the human brain

are not regulated to prevent adverse effects on the fetus or small

child, " Grandjean's report said.

 

Consumer advocate Mike Adams recommends consumers educate themselves

on how chemicals can affect health by reading Randall Fitzgerald's

" The Hundred-Year Lie. "

http://www.truthpublishing.com/TheHundredYearLie.html

 

 

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