Children's Health and the Environment
Updated January 19, 2005
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A growing body of evidence, including rising developmental disability and asthma rates, indicates that children are more sensitive than adults to environmental contaminants. Children breathe more air, drink more fluids, and eat more food in proportion to their body weight than adults. Environmental exposures that would not harm an adult can cause permanent damage to the developing body of a child. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is presently revising pesticide residue limits to make sure they provide a margin of safety for children as well as adults. States may be required to update environmental standards to comply with federal regulations. Currently, most state and federal regulations are based on adults, only within the last few years has state legislation -- such as California Senate Bill 25 and Maryland House Bill 313 -- been passed to take children's special vulnerabilities into account.
Publications
 Children's Health and Environment Fact Sheets
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Healthy Environment, Healthy Kids |
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Children's Health and Environment Video | |
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State Health Lawmaker's Digest "Children's Environmental Health," 2001 |
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Environmental Health Series "Children's Health and the Environment" 1999 |
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State Legislature's Magazine "Finding the Causes of Childhood Diseases" |
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Environmental Health Series "Asthma, A growing Epidemic" 2000 |
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"Lead Screening for Children Enrolled in Medicaid: State Approaches," Promising
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Legislation |
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2001 State Lead Poisoning Prevention Statutes |
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Children's Environmental Health Legislation Database |
National Center for Environmental Health - Part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the center is especially committed to safeguarding the health of populations that are particularly vulnerable to certain environmental hazards-including children. They work to promote optimal fetal, infant, and child development, including preventing birth defects and developmental disabilities.
Children's Environmental Health Network - A national interdisciplinary project dedicated to protecting the fetus and the child from environmental health hazards.
Office of Children's Health Protection - An office of the U.S. EPA that deals with the regulatory and science aspects of children's health protection.
Environmental Health - NCSL's site on environmental health issues.
Lead Hazards Project - NCSL's site on lead hazard issues.
Contacts
Scott Hendrick, Research Analyst, NCSL Environment, Energy & Transportation
Doug Farquhar, Program Director, Environment, Energy & Transportation
 Environmental Health Home Page
Health Home Page |
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