Mapping toxin exposure risk due to children's play: a case study.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Pediatric Toxicology
• Community Health

Background:

• Belden Center, New York, developed alongside two hazardous toxic waste disposal sites.
• These sites were used for waste disposal, posing public health risks to the adjacent community.
• Children frequently played in these industrial waste sites between 1944 and 1979.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify cohorts of children exposed to toxic waste sites during different developmental periods.
• To map the locations and types of play within hazardous waste disposal areas.
• To assess children's play as a significant risk factor in communities near toxic waste sites.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a large-scale map of waste disposal sites for resident interviews.
• Residents described childhood play locations and activities within the sites.
• Defined play cohorts based on age (8-19 years) and historical site usage periods.

Main Results:

• An outcome map was created, detailing sites, dates, and types of children's play.
• More boys than girls were identified as playing in the dumpsites.
• A subsample of children who did not use the sites for play was identified.

Conclusions:

• Children's recreational activities in and around toxic waste sites represent a major exposure risk.
• Community proximity to industrial waste disposal sites necessitates careful consideration of childhood play patterns.
• Environmental health strategies must account for children's play behavior in risk assessments near hazardous sites.