The number of children with serious and often fatal diseases has increased significantly over the past 50 years, with scientists and researchers warning that the negative effects of pesticides and exposure to synthetic chemicals is fueling a growing health crisis.
Now, a coalition of 25 leading scientists and legal experts are calling for sweeping changes in chemical regulations. Their report, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found dramatic increases in serious childhood illnesses—trends they attribute to widespread chemical exposures and the negative effects of pesticides.
“We think that there needs to be a fundamental restructuring of chemical law in this country to prioritize the protection of children's health,” the experts said in their report. “And what that means in practical terms is that any new chemical that a manufacturer wants to bring to market has to be tested for toxicity before it's brought to market and shown to not cause harm at the anticipated levels of exposure.”
We can help.
Alarming Negative Effects of Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals
Key findings about the negative effects of pesticides and toxic chemicals include:
- A 35% surge in childhood cancer
- Doubling of male reproductive birth defects
- Neurodevelopmental disorders now affect roughly 1 in 6 children
- Pediatric asthma has tripled, while childhood obesity has nearly quadrupled, driving increases in juvenile Type 2 diabetes
The paper points to data showing global inventories of roughly 350,000 synthetic chemicals, chemical mixtures and plastics, most of which are derived from fossil fuels. Production has expanded about 50-fold since 1950 and is currently increasing by about 3% a year. It is projected to triple by 2050.
A ‘Call to Arms’
The report is a “call to arms” to forge an “actual commitment to the health of our children,” Linda Birnbaum, a former director of the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and a co-author of the paper, told The Guardian.
The connections between exposure to toxic chemicals and illness in children “continue to be discovered with distressing frequency,” the authors say.
“The evidence is so overwhelming and the effects of manufactured chemicals are so disruptive for children, that inaction is no longer an option,” Daniele Mandrioli, a co-author of the paper and director of the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center at the Ramazzini Institute in Italy, told The Guardian. “Our article highlights the necessity for a paradigm shift in chemical testing and regulations to safeguard children’s health.”
The authors cite research documenting how brief, low-level exposures to toxic chemicals during early vulnerable periods in a child’s development can cause disease and disability. Prenatal exposures are particularly hazardous, the paper states.
How to Reduce Exposure to Chemicals & Negative Effects of Pesticides
Experts recommend that people take conscious steps to reduce their exposure to chemicals in their homes. Dr. Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician, epidemiologist and director of the Global Observatory on Planetary Health at Boston College, told WBUR’s “All Things Considered” that people should try to avoid the use of plastics, especially in the microwave.
“People can do things like agitate for less pesticide use in the school, less pesticide use in parks, bans on plastic bags—all of which will reduce people’s exposure to chemicals,” he said. “And … work with their legislators, both at the state level as well as nationally, federally to regulate chemicals.”
How We Help Hawai‘i Victims of Pesticide Exposure
Seek justice with the help of our experienced lawyers. Our Hawai‘i pesticide law firm has battled corporate giants on behalf of individuals like you for over 40 years, aggressively fighting to hold them responsible for dangerous chemicals and the birth defects and personal injuries they cause. If you have a child with birth defects caused by dangerous products, we can help.
