Preventing Pollution Protects Children

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Preventing Pollution Protects Children

• Kathleen Schuler, MPH
• Institute for Agriculture
• Trade Policy
• 612-870-3468
• kschuler_at_iatp.org
• www.iatp.org/foodandhealth

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Children vulnerable during brain development

• In utero through age 2 years- critical for brain
  development
• Critical sequence
• Vulnerable to disruption
• Size, timing, duration
• influence impact
• Downstream effects

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Breast milk is healthy

• Source of healthy omega 3 fatty acids for healthy
  brain development
• Good for babys immune system
• Mother-child bonding
• Good for mothers health
• Positive effects on intelligence and behavior

But breast milk contains contaminants
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Fish are healthy

• Dietary source of protein, Vitamin D and Omega-3
  fatty acids
• Necessary for healthy brain development in
  children
• But many fish contain contaminants

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Breast milk and fish contain developmental
neurotoxicants

• Lead
• PCBs
• Dioxins
• Pesticides
• Mercury
• PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers)
• Others manganese, nicotine, alcohol, solvents

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Widespread contamination of these valuable food
sources negates some of the positive effects of
these foods.
We must eliminate these contaminants and make
these precious foods safe again.
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From Factory to the Fetus Dioxin, PCBs PBDEs
Pathways of Exposure and Neurodevelopmental
Effects
AIR
Dioxins

PCBs Transformers Landfills Hazardous Waste Sites
Dioxins PVC Manufacturing Medical/Municipal
Incinerators
PCBs
SOIL


WATER
FOOD
PBDEs Electronics Bldg materials Transportation E
lec. appliances
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Developmental Toxicity Data 2,863 HPV
Chemicals
Some Developmental Toxicity Data
12 Tested for Toxicity to the Developing Brain,
Nervous System
No Data On Developmental Toxicity
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Problem with mercury and brominated flame
retardants

• Exposure
• Both pass through the placenta to the fetus
• Both are passed to infants through breast milk
• Both are neurotoxins
• Both are widespread in breast milk and fish
• Pollution prevention can reduce these
  contaminants in the environment and in these food
  sources
• Current public policies do not adequately protect
  fetuses and young children.

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Problem with Mercury

• Potent neurotoxin.
• We are learning that, as with lead, mercury
  effects are being detected at lower and lower
  levels.
• Mercury passes through the placenta to the
  developing fetus and is also passed on to nursing
  infants in breast milk.
• New EPA estimates put 630,000 newborns a year at
  risk for adverse effects on development due to
  mothers mercury body burden.
• Fish consumption is a key route of exposure.

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Mercury Pollution

Wet Deposition
Particulates Vapor
Combustion
Dry Deposition

Volcanoes
Industry Incinerators
Landfills
Farming

WasteWater Releases

Ground-water Flow
Volatilization
Pesticides Fertilizers
Runoff


Methylation Hg to HgCH3
Rain Streams to Groundwater
Sedimentation
to Streams, lakes, vegetation, soil
Bioaccumulation in Fish
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MercuryDeclining Threshold of Harm
Level associated with
harmful effect
Regulatory standard

(maximum safe exposure or high
end exposure from allowed fish
contamination)
(micrograms/kg/day Hg)
DAILY INTAKE
FDA
WHO
ATSDR
EPA
YEAR
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MercuryEffects of Low Dose Prenatal Exposure
Children with high prenatal mercury exposure
Children with low prenatal mercury exposure
lt 15
30-50
15-30
gt50 µg/l
Children with lowest scores at age 7 years
Figure shows prenatal mercury exposure levels of
Faroese children with scores in the lowest
quartile after adjustment for cofounders. For
each of the five major cognitive functions, one
neuropsychological test with a high psychometric
validity was selected.
Source Grandjean, et. al., "Cognitive Deficit in
7-year-Old Children with Prenatal Exposure to
Methylmercury", Neurotoxicology and Teratology,
Vol. 19, No. 6, 1997
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Mercury Exposures

• Advised Exposure Limit
• EPA Reference Dose (safe upper limit) 0.1
  microgram/kilogram/day
• Equivalent consumption limit
• Women 7 oz. tuna/week
• Child 1 oz. tuna per 20 lb. body weight/week

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Mercury Exposures

• Current exposures
• About 16 of women of reproductive age exceed
  Reference Dose (RfD)
• 50 of women who eat fish exceed RfD on any given
  day
• Higher risk Subsistence fishers, immigrants,
  American Indians

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Exposure reduction

• Advise women of childbearing age and young
  children to avoid high mercury fish.
• Women can reduce their body burden before
  becoming pregnant.
• Safe fish consumption is complicated!
• Farmed versus wild
• Minnesota fish vs commercial
• Balance sustainability vs contamination
• Depends on body weight

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• From IATP
• For women of childbearing age and children
• Combines information on sustainability and
  contaminants
• Handy tear-off pocket guide

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Minnesota Health Dept. Advice
http//www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/fish/index.h
tml
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What can we do about fish contaminants?

• Replace fossil-fuel based energy with renewable
  sources like solar wind
• More aggressively regulate coal plants and other
  polluting industries
• Phase-out use of mercury in products, including
  in vaccines and dental amalgams
• Public health Burden of proof

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Mercury Pollution

• Current administration proposals delay
  significant mercury reductions for 10 years.
• Clean Air Act - 70 reduction by 2008
• Clear Skies Initiative - 69 reduction by 2018
• Proposed MACT rules for coal plants align with
  Clear Skies and allow 7X Hg pollution of Clean
  Air Act

We must prevent mercury pollution to protect
public health!
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Mercury-Free Minnesota

• GOALS
• Establish enforceable mercury reduction targets
  based on a 90 reduction by 2010, and virtual
  elimination by 2020
• Prohibit sales of motor vehicles with mercury
  components
• Phase out mercury in products, including
  vaccines
• Broaden mercury labeling and disposal laws to
  ensure removal from the solid waste stream of
  products that contain mercury, including dental
  amalgams.

Coalition of 20 orgs. www.mercuryfreemn.org
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PBDEspolybrominated diphenyl ethers(brominated
flame retardants)
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Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)

• PCB-like persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic
• Resist degradation high boiling point, low vapor
  pressure, low water solubility
• Lipophilic
• Globally transported
• Bind to particles - accumulate in sediments
• Most common commerical types
• Deca-BDE- used in thermoplastics textiles
• Octo-BDE- used in plastics
• Penta-BDE- used in polyurethane foam (North
  America- 98 of global demand)

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Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) Robert Hale,
VA Inst. Of Marine Science
Added to reduce fire-hazard associated with our
wide use of flammable polymers textiles
BFR use saves Lives Property Environmental damage
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Worldwide Market
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Problem with brominated flame retardants (PBDEs)

• Per animal studies neurotoxic, disrupt thyroid
  and toxic to liver
• Chemically similar to PCBs, which are toxic,
  persistent and bioccumulative
• Levels increasing in environment and biota
• Fish consumption is a key route of exposure.
• New data show that air (inhalation) exposure may
  also be important

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PBDE Levels in Humans
Year
PBDE, polybrominated diphenylethers. (She et al.,
2001)
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Trends of BDEs in Canadian human milks1982-2002
From Ryan and Patry 2002
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U.S. Fish Levels Increasing Rapidly Over
Time Robert Hale, VA Inst. Of Marine Science
100-fold increase
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Mean concentrations of total PBDEs detected in
Lake Ontario lake trout between 1978 and 1998
(0.54-178ng/g), and the amount of bromine used
globally for BFR production between 1965 and 1996
(6000-89000 tons)(Mehran Alee, Canadian National
Water Research Inst.)
1965
1998
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Organohalogen Compounds in Breast Milk in Sweden
PCB, polychlorinated biphenyl PCDD,
polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin PCDF,
polychlorinated dibenzofuran PBDE,
polybromonated diphenylether TEQ, toxic equiv.
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PCBs PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL EFFECTS
Infant Birth weight, head circumference,
gestational age, motor immaturity, poor lability,
startle reflex Early Childhood Memory,
attention, verbal ability, information
processing, psychomotor development, sustained
activity, high level play, withdrawn, depressed
behavior, hyperactivity Preteen Word and reading
comprehension, full scale and verbal IQ, memory
and attention
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PCBs Inadequate Margin of Safety
PCB
BLOOD LEVELS
(ppb)
REPORTED
REPORTED
HUMAN
HEALTH EFFECTS
IN OFFSPRING
EXPOSURES
Great Lakes
fish eaters
Great Lakes
non-fish eaters
Decreased reflexes, memory, IQ, attention,
visual discrimination
Midwest and

Northeast US women
Michigan mothers
North Carolina mothers
Decreased attention, cognitive ability, high
level play, psychomotor development
Increased withdrawn/depressed, increased
hyperactivity.
Wisconsin women
Dutch mothers
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Lessons from PCBs

• Chemically similar to PCBs
• Neurotoxic
• Economic value in industrial use
• Pollution growing
• Widespread exposure in fish
• Opportunity for less toxic alternatives
• Regulation can reduce exposure

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Regulatory Actions

• EU banned penta and octa. Considering deca ban.
• Sweden, Germany and Netherlands voluntary
  agreements with industry
• Germany restricted through Dioxin Ordinance
• CA ban on penta and octa by 2008.

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U.S. Industry actions

• EPA negotiated with Great Lakes Chemical, the
  only US manufacturer of penta and octa, a
  phase-out by 2005.
• Computer electronics companies are using
  alternatives, Ericsson, IBM, Apple, Intel, Sony,
  Motorola, Panasonic, Phillips.
• IKEA, Crate Barrel and Eddie Bauer are
  requesting PBDE-free polyurethane foam from their
  manufacturer Hickory Springs.

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States proposing bans

• There is no regulation of PBDEs by EPA.
• In the absence of EPA regulations, other states
  are joining California in banning PBDEs-
  legislation being introduced in
• Michigan -Hawaii
• Maryland -Washington
• Maine -New York
• Minnesota

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Minnesotas Proposed law to ban PBDE flame
retardants

• SF 2193 would ban in all products sold or
  manufactured in Minnesota
• Penta and octa by 2006
• Deca by 2008
• Exempts plastics recyclers

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Trends of BDEs in human milk (Mehran Alee,
Canadian National Water Research Inst.)
Betts Env Sci Technol Dec, 2001
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Precautionary Principle

• When an activity raises threats of harm to the
  environment or human health, precautionary
  measures should be taken even if some cause and
  effect relationships are not fully established
  scientifically.
• Science and Environmental Health Network

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Environmental Justice

• everyone regardless of race, culture or income,
  enjoys the same degree of protection from
  environmental and health hazards and equal access
  to the decision-making process to have a healthy
  environment in which to live, learn and work
• Christine Todd Whitman, EPA Administrator

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Environmental injustice

• Asthma- EPA reports Children of color and low
  income kids are more likely to have had an asthma
  attack in past 12 months.
• 8 black non-Hispanic low income
• 6 white non-Hispanic low income
• 5 of Hispanic low income
• 6 all low income
• 5 all non-low income

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Environmental injustice

• Lead in blood- EPA reports Children of color and
  low income kids are at greater risk for high
  blood lead. In 1999-2000
• Median blood lead kids ages 1-5 2.2 ug/dL
• Low-income kids 2.8 ug/dL
• Non-low income kids 1.9 ug/dL
• ALL Black non-Hispanic kids 2.8 ug/dL
• ALL white non-Hispanic kids 2.1 ug/dL
• ALL Hispanic kids 2.0 ug/dL

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Unequal exposures

• Air pollution diesel fumes, particulates
• Industrial emissions
• Incinerators
• Superfund sites
• Occupational risks
• School conditions
• Housing issues

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Stress impacts health!
GHETTO MIASMA Enough To Make You Sick? By
Helen Epstein Sunday New York Times, October 12,
2003
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EJAM Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota

• MissionTo advocate for fair treatment
  and meaningful involvement of communities of
  color and low income communities in the
  development, implementation, and enforcement of
  environmental laws, regulation, and policies for
  the purpose of eliminating minority health
  disparities
• http//www.ejadvocates-mn.us/

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healthy planet healthy families
For more information, see www.iatp.org/foodandheal
th or contact Kathleen Schuler at 612-870-3468 or
kschuler_at_iatp.org