Confronting Toxic Chemicals

Thousands of industrial chemicals enter our air, food, and drinking water each year. These substances include persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals such as lead and mercury. Pregnant women and their unborn fetuses, children, and rural communities are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of toxic chemicals in the environment.   Despite the U.S. having one of the most technologically advanced maternity and prenatal health care systems on the planet, adverse birth outcomes are on the rise. Premature delivery, fetal growth retardation, low birth weight, and a variety of congenital abnormalities have increased in the last forty years. The causes are not clearly understood but many scientists are researching the role that chemicals in the environment play in the health and well-being of pregnant women and their unborn fetuses.   From the time of conception to puberty and beyond, children are exposed to thousands of chemicals through household cleaning products, pesticides, plastics, personal care products, and industrial products. Very little is known about the effect of these chemicals on a child's development, but emerging science indicates that some chemicals cause damage to a child's developing brain, while others may cause cancer or mimic or block hormones.

• To protect children, rural and other vulnerable populations, click here to ask your members of congress to support chemical reform legislation introduced in May.
• Health care providers have high work place exposures to chemicals.  click here to review the PSR report, Hazardous Chemicals in Health Care, which followed 20 health care professionals and tracked their personal chemical exposures.