Special Effects
Although it is known that children are vulnerable to environmental insults, research tends to focus on adult health effects. The NIEHS News (p. A298) features the work of institute scientists who study the effects of estrogens, chemicals, and metals on children's health.
Mind and Matter
With mounting data indicating that chemicals can cause neurobehavioral effects in children, the pressure is on to identify and prevent the risk of exposures. The Focus (p. A302) looks at the neurobehavioral effects of lead, methylmercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls on children--and what's being done to provide protection against these substances.
Justice Is Served
After three years of investigation, the Institute of Medicine presents a comprehensive report titled Toward Environmental Justice. The Spheres of Influence (p. A308) describes the findings and recommendations of this report, which studied communities of concern across the United States.
Good Medicine, Just for Kids
Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for the deaths of over one million children each year. The Innovations (p. A312) describes a breakthrough children's vaccine that has demonstrated a 100% efficacy rate in Phase III clinical trials.
Children and Superfund Sites
A Commentary by Landrigan et al. (p. 423) suggests that children who live around Superfund sites are at particular risk of exposures to chemicals. Of the 11 million Americans that live within 1 mile of a site, about 3-4 million are children under the age of 18 years. The authors suggest the necessity for development of a new, prevention-oriented agenda for multidisciplinary research, risk assessment, and health policy for children.
Calcium and Lead Poisoning in Urban Children
A survey of dietary calcium in urban minority children by Bruening et al. (p. 431) indicated that approximately 30% of children aged 1-3 years and 60% of children aged 4-8 years had calcium intakes below dietary guidelines. Approximately 50% of children aged 1-8 years had blood lead levels above 10 µg/dL. The authors suggest that the combination of excessive lead exposure and low dietary calcium poses health risks to children.
Threshold to Chelate for Elevated Lead in Children
Campbell and Schaffer (p. 437) examined 210 children with elevated blood lead levels to define the levels above which chelation (treatment with compound to remove lead) should be performed regardless of erythrocyte protoporphyrin levels. The authors recommend chelation for children with blood lead levels between 30 and 49 µg/dL or for children whose erythrocyte protoporphyrin levels are >= 35 µg/dL.
Copper in Drinking Water
Swedish children were examined by Pettersson and Rasmussen (p. 441) to estimate the volume of water and copper consumed daily. A large proportion of the 1,178 children satisfied their daily need for copper from drinking water, and approximately 10% had a copper intake above the World Health Organization's recommended level.
Dioxins in Breast Milk of Kazakhstanis
Breast milk samples from 64 women living on state farms were examined for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) by Hooper et al. (p. 447). The highest TCDD levels were from locations adjacent to cotton fields receiving pesticide treatment, suggesting that runoff contributed to the contamination. The TCDD levels in breast milk were 10 times those found in the United States.
Organochlorines in Breast Milk of Ukrainians
Breast milk samples from 197 women were examined for pesticides and PCB congeners by Gladen et al. (p. 459). The median ß-hexachlorocyclohexane level was higher than that in other reports from Europe but lower than levels from other parts of the world; the median DDE level was higher than most but not all other reports from Europe.
Chlorpyrifos Residues following Application
Lu and Fenske (p. 463) compared surface sampling techniques with the removal ability of human skin following applications of a commercial product containing chlorpyrifos. Current methods for measuring transferable chlorpyrifos residues on carpets and furniture surfaces after commercial pesticide applications substantially overestimated the amount of residue removed by skin contact.
DNA Lesions in Mexico City Children
Calderón-Garcidueñas et al. (p. 469) compared mutagenic lesions in nasal biopsies from children in a low-polluted coastal village and in Mexico City. The authors found 2- to 3-fold higher incidences of lesions among the urban children, suggesting that oxidative DNA damage occurred.
Particulate Matter and Fetal Growth
Dejmek et al. (p. 475) examined fetal growth in approximately 2,000 women in the Northern Bohemia brown coal basin, where air pollution is extreme. There was an association between risks for intrauterine growth retardation and ambient particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) that was probably not related to seasonal factors.
Biokinetic Model for Lead in Children
Potential risk to children from lead exposure at Superfund sites employs an EPA model for lead remediation. Griffin et al. (p. 481) recommend calculation of risks based on sound lead sampling and simple site-specific statistics.
Childhood Asthma and Air Pollution
The relationship between emergency room visits for asthma in children from an inner city area in Seattle, Washington, and daily air pollution were examined by Norris et al. (p. 489). Significant associations were reported between asthmatic treatment and fine particulate matter and carbon monoxide. The relationship held true even when estimated PM2.5 concentrations were below the annual National Ambient Air Quality Standard of 15 µg/m3.
Cytokines and Lung Remodeling
Morimoto et al. (p. 495) determined mRNA levels of cytokines from alveolar macrophages and lungs of rats after exposure to mineral fibers and cigarette smoke. mRNA levels of several cytokines were increased, suggesting their involvement in remodeling of injured lung tissues.
Genetic Susceptibility and Exposure to Pesticides
Au et al. (p. 501) conducted three different cytogenetic assays in Costa Rican farmers exposed to mixed pesticides. Farmers had consistently more genetic lesions than controls. Farmers who inherited unfavorable metabolizing alleles for the polymorphic metabolizing genes CYP2E1, GSTM1, GSTT1, and PON exhibited more adverse responses than either farmers with favorable alleles or controls.
Last Updated: May 20, 1999
