Pediatric Environmental Health: Using Data on Toxic Chemical Emissions in Practice

Children's unique behavioral and physiological characteristics can increase their exposure and susceptibility to environmental chemicals. The link between exposure to environmental chemicals and specific health outcomes, however, is often uncertain. This article introduces several resources to help health practitioners identify potential environmental exposures and risks related to toxic chemicals. It focuses on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) free and public environmental data, including the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data that contain information about toxics released to the environment. Three hypothetical case studies are presented to demonstrate how these data can help answer environmental exposure questions. The first case study illustrates a scenario where multiple patients in an area exhibit the same symptoms with a suspected link to environmental chemicals. The second case study illustrates a scenario where a patient with a confirmed exposure to a toxic chemical needs assistance with identifying potential environmental sources. And the third case study illustrates a scenario where a patient is concerned about the potential for future exposure to an environmental contaminant in a particular geographic area. Each case study includes contacts for follow-up questions, including the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs), EPA regional staff, state environmental agencies, and local health departments. These resources can help practitioners access and interpret environmental data, answer questions about potential exposures, and inform next steps if necessary.