A quiet brain-damage epidemic
A Lancet paper catalogs hundreds of chemicals that could have neurotoxic effects in children of all ages.
Early exposure to neurotoxic chemicals could be creating a silent epidemic of brain damage and other neurological dysfunctions, according to the authors of a new review.
The paper (free login required), published in The Lancet on November 8, calls for an immediate shift in the regulation of such compounds. The review started with U.S. National Library of Medicine documents and compiles only compounds known to affect humans. Because of their criteria, which did not include animal data, for example, the researchers write that the list is likely underrepresentative, particularly for neurotoxins with chronic or long-term effects. They note that several substances might soon be joining lead, methyl mercury, PCBs, solvents and pesticides: manganese, fluoride, and perchlorate are "three obvious candidate substances" that might harm children, although only manganese has proven neurotoxic in adults.
The final product is a 200-plus catalog of metals, pesticides, organic solvents, and other materials known to impact children’s brain development and, in some cases, adults’ neural function. Only five of these substances have enough accumulated data for their effects to be well recognized, but these substances remain poorly regulated, the authors argue.
Thousands of chemicals should be tested for potential neurotoxicity for children, they write. The authors also recommend that nations treat these chemicals with precautionary principles that go beyond those in such legislation as the EU’s REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorisation of Chemicals).
