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CONSIDERATION OF CHILDREN'S DISTINCTIVE SUSCEPTIBILITY IN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH STUDIES
Citation:
Mendola, P. CONSIDERATION OF CHILDREN'S DISTINCTIVE SUSCEPTIBILITY IN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH STUDIES. Presented at International Society for Environmental Epidemiology Annual meeting, Garmisch, Germany, September 2-5, 2001.
Description:
Consideration of children's distinctive susceptibility in environmental health studies.
Pauline Mendola (US EPA, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711)
Children are a particularly susceptible subpopulation with respect to environmental health threats. First, their developing organ systems can be more vulnerable at critical windows of development to adverse effects from environmental exposures. Even at the same level of exposure as adults, they often have less physiologic capacity to detoxify xenobiotics. Another aspect of this vulnerability is that exposures during fetal development and childhood can impact on adult chronic disease risk later in life. Secondly, children often have higher exposure levels than adults in the same environment. Compared to adults, children breathe more air, drink more water, and consume more food on a relative size basis. Their skin surface area relative to their body mass is greater. Children also have different food preferences (for example, apples and other fruits) and behaviors such as hand-to-mouth activity that increase the potential for dermal and ingestion exposures to pesticides and other toxic agents. Playing on the floor results in more exposure to resuspended particles. Puff toys can also concentrate volatile organic compounds. This symposium will highlight some of the unique susceptibilities of children including the health risks associated with exposures during fetal development, the potential for adverse neurodevelopment in children and continue with discussion of the challenges and benefits of ongoing and planned cohort studies to assess children's environmental health risks.