Stricter Laws Are Needed to Protect Children from Potentially Toxic Chemicals

Manufacture of synthetic chemicals and plastics is subject to few legal or policy constraints. Fewer than 20% have been tested for toxicity, and even fewer for effects on children.

[This text is based on the article Manufactured Chemicals and Children’s Health — The Need for New Law, published in The New England Journal of Medicine and authored by The Consortium for Children’s Environmental Health, of which Kurt Straif is a member.]

The weak regulation surrounding the production of manufactured chemicals poses a serious threat to our children’s health. Research in environmental pediatrics over the past 25 years has repeatedly shown that even brief, low-level exposures to toxic chemicals during vulnerable early periods can lead to diseases and disabilities that persist throughout life. Prenatal exposure is particularly hazardous, as toxic chemicals can cross the placenta. Children are far more vulnerable to toxic chemicals than adults. Some effects are immediately visible, like anatomical birth defects, while others may not manifest until later in life, like altered sexual development, reduced fertility, asthma, obesity, and cancer.

The Failure of Current Chemical Laws

Currently, the chemical manufacturing industry faces few legal requirements to conduct toxicity testing before bringing new chemicals to market or surveille longer-term adverse events after they are sold.

In the United States, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1977 and its amendments places the burden on government regulators to identify potentially hazardous chemicals. As a result, in nearly 50 years, only a handful of chemicals have been banned. The industry also benefits from multibillion-dollar government subsidies and trade-secret protections, making it difficult for the public to access information about the toxicity or chemical composition of products.

In the European Union (EU), the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals) regulation requires some premarketing screening of new chemicals for toxicity, but it relies heavily on industry data and fails to regulate many harmful substances effectively. Only 73 chemicals and chemical groups have been restricted or banned in EU markets, a number that is alarmingly low given the risks involved.

Chemical-management policies in both the United States and the European Union have two critical shortcomings:

1. They assess the risks of chemicals individually, failing to account for the reality that children are exposed daily to mixtures of multiple manufactured chemicals. These combined exposures may have cumulative or even synergistic effects, increasing potential harm.
2. With the exception of the Food Quality Protection Act’s limited requirement for the US Environmental Protection Agency to consider children’s vulnerabilities when setting pesticide tolerance levels, most chemical regulations worldwide do not adequately address the unique sensitivities of children.

The Need for Stronger Chemical Regulations

To protect children’s health, we need a shift in chemical law that places health above all else. Chemicals should no longer be presumed harmless until proven otherwise. Instead, manufacturers should be required to prove, through independent testing, that their products are not toxic at expected levels of exposure before they are allowed on the market. Additionally, manufacturers should be required to monitor the longer-term effects of their products, particularly in children.

A Global Approach for Change

To truly address this issue, we need international cooperation. A globally binding chemical treaty, similar to the UN’s global plastics treaty, could provide the framework needed to protect children everywhere from harmful chemicals.

Transforming the Chemical Industry

Ultimately, to safeguard children’s health, we must transform the chemical industry itself. The fossil-carbon-based industry must be replaced with sustainable alternatives that prioritize human health. While this will require significant changes to current laws and business models, it is essential to preserve the environment and protect future generations. Inaction on chemicals is no longer an option.