Case studies of environmental risks to children

Doing a better job of protecting children from environmental hazards requires having more and better information about both children's susceptibility and their exposure to toxic substances. There are many critical gaps in knowledge of this issue. This article presents several examples specifically related to children's exposure to pesticides which illustrate environmental risks for children. The cases examined include the risk posed to children by the use of the insecticide aldicarb on bananas, and reported illnesses in children caused by the use of the insecticide diazinon in the home and by the use of interior house paint containing mercury. The cases presented illustrate how regulatory agencies, parents, health care providers, and others who come into contact with children on a regular basis all have roles to play in filling in the information gaps regarding children's exposure to environmental hazards and the deleterious effects of these exposures.