Cent Eur J Public Health 1998, 6(2):164-167
Children as a particularly vulnerable population to exposure to hazardous environmental contamination
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
Many environmental chemicals are known to affect children's growth, developmental and potential. Currently most of the health effects data on children are based on adults and animals; these data are neither adequate nor appropriate for evaluating health risks in children. The risk of exposure of developing embryos, neonates, infants, young children and adolescents all need to be evaluated. Children's risk may differ qualitatively and quantitatively from those of adults for a number of reasons, such as metabolism, pharmacokinetics, physiology factors, development, diet, and physical environment. Today's and future generations of children are being exposed to excessive amounts of potentially toxic substances; the issues of cumulative synergistic effects on toxicants, low level chronic exposures and inter-generational effects of exposure are all issues needing to be addressed. Children are uniquely vulnerable since the child is a growing person, interference with developing organ systems (i.e., the nervous system, the endocrine system, etc.) by environmental agents has more potential to result in long term and irreversible damage than in adults. Genetic susceptibility is important to exposures in adults and children. Inter- and intra-individual variability with respect to chemical sensitivity and exposure exists among children, as it does among adults; however, with children, developmental changes from neonate through adolescence are superimposed on genetic and environmental differences. Therefore, genetic variation in human genetic susceptibility may be greater than an order of magnitude when comparing differences between children and adults. The study of gene-environment interaction is critical to fully understand the causal factors of diseases in children. Characterization of genetic polymorphism of important genes involved in the metabolism of environmental toxicants is essential. The characterization of a genetic polymorphism of a commonly occurring gene allows scientists to begin to understand the relationship between exposure levels and cognitive impairment in susceptible subpopulations of children. Disease in children of environmental origin is preventable; however, prevention requires research. Research is needed to identify patterns of environmental disease in children, to assess children's exposures to environmental toxins, to quantify dose-response relationships, and to provide a blueprint for prevention. An important aspect of prevention is to incorporate community-based research into the larger framework of environmental health goals. Community-based prevention research seeks to increase the capability of communities to participate in the process that shape research approaches and prevention/intervention strategies. Environmental health risk posed by the location of hazardous waste sites may be distributed inequitably across regions which make-up Central and Eastern Europe, therefore, it is important to develop a child-oriented research and prevention agenda in close consultation with those who represent the interests children and other vulnerable groups in an inter-regional manner. Such a child-oriented research and prevention strategy must encompass research, risk assessment, policy formation and education.
Zveřejněno: 1. červen 1998 Zobrazit citaci