Saturday, September 6, 2008

Flame Retardants are Damaging Our Children

Several years ago I wrote up a report for an environmental group that addressed the issue of flame retardants in electronic goods and the need to make sure these were adequately disposed of. The EPA laughed at that report, called it alarmist. What did I emphasise? The neurotoxicity of these compounds.

This highlights how much more attention we need to pay towards these types of environmental issues.

Toxic Compounds in Toddlers & Preschoolers 3x Higher Than in Moms

WASHINGTON – In the first nationwide investigation of chemical fire retardants in parents and their children, Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that toddlers and pre-schoolers typically had 3 times more of the neurotoxic compounds in their blood than their mothers. The study suggests that U.S. children 1 to 4 years of age bear the heaviest burden of flame retardant pollution in the industrialized world.

Toxic fire retardants in everyday items like furniture, sofas, televisions and computers could expose children to concentrations

exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended safe level. Children ingest more fire retardants and other toxins when they put their hands, toys and other objects in their mouths

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