Children of today are alive during a time of unprecedented potential exposure to toxic substances. Most of these chemicals are found in household products that are dispersed widely in the child s environment. Over half of them have never been tested for their potential toxicity. The consequences of children's exposures to environmental toxins will be felt by our society in the 21st century through health affects these children will experience in later life and through the increased health costs that will be borne by us all. There are a number of reasons why children are at a greater risk than adults of being affected by the toxins in our world.
Children have greater exposure potential than adults.
Compared to their body weight, they eat more food and drink more water than adults, increasing their exposure to pesticides on food and in water. During the first six months of their lives, children consume seven times as much water per pound of body weight as do adults. From ages one through five, they eat three to four times more food per pound of weight than do adults. The air intake of an infant at rest is twice that of an adult per pound of body weight. Children play close to the ground, increasing their exposure to toxins in pesticides, inorganic fertilizers and other soil contaminants.