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Michigan Children’s Environmental Health

kristiet_a0o04rjz on March 9, 2022

Michigan Children’s Environmental Health Profile

Did you know 50% of children under 18 in Michigan live in counties with unhealthy levels of ozone pollution? Or that 9.1% of children under age 18 had asthma (compared to the National average of 7.7%) in 2018-2019? There are 2.1 million children in Michigan, and approximately 18% of them live in poverty. Poverty is an important social determinant of health; poverty hurts children and their families. Children of color and young children are disproportionately poor and experience many issues that lead to adverse health outcomes. All children deserve a safe and healthy environment to grow and develop.

This profile highlights key Michigan children’s environmental health indicators, federal support received by the state for environmental health, health equity and climate and health programs, and a spotlight feature in a children’s environmental health-related topical issues.

Continue reading to learn more about environmental hazards, children’s exposures, and children’s health outcomes in Michigan, or click the blue button to download the profile as a PDF.

Key Children’s Environmental Health Indicators for Michigan

What is a Children’s Environmental Health Indicator?

See Indicator References

Safe Drinking Water: 24% of public water utilities had drinking water violations (2020)
National average: 31%
Air Quality: 50% of children under age 18 live in counties with unhealthy ozone pollution (2021)
Warming Temperatures: 2.9 degrees F warmer in 2020 than in 1970.
National average 2.8 degrees F warmer
Toxic Chemical Releases: 61.9 million pounds of toxic chemicals were disposed of or released (2020).
United States 3.1 billion pounds
Asthma: 9.1% of children under age 18 have asthma (2018- 2019)
Nationwide: 7.7%
Pediatric Cancer: 184.8 cases of pediatric cancer per 1 million population (2005-2015)
Nationwide: 181.0 cases per 1 million
Blood lead levels: 4% of tested children under age 6 have elevated blood lead levels (2016).
Nationwide: 3.8%
Neurodevelopmental Disorders:9.7% of children age 3-17 have ADD or ADHD (2019-2020).
Nationwide: 8.9%.

2.6% of children age 3-17  have Autism Spectrum Disorder (2019- 2020)
Nationwide: 2.9%

Michigan Spotlight: Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART)

Contamination of drinking water by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFA) has been a high-visibility issue in Michigan and across the country over the past few years. PFAS are a group of highly toxic persistent chemicals and a significant public health concern. Although the EPA anticipates issuing PFAS regulation in Fall 2023, there are currently no federal regulations in place for PFAS in drinking water. A 2021 report found that Michigan has among the most PFAS-contaminated water sites in the country. However, the high number of confirmed sites is at least partly attributed to MI’s aggressive search for PFAS contamination.

Since 2017, the state has acted to protect its drinking water via the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART), a multi-agency collaboration. MPART actions that have successfully reduced statewide exposure include the provisioning of alternative water sources and the regulation of PFAS discharges into drinking water supplies, While the state drinking water standards only apply to public water supplies, MPART actions that have successfully reduced statewide exposure include the provisioning of alternative water sources and the regulation of PFAS discharges into drinking water supplies. While the state drinking water standards only apply to public water supplies, MPART investigators also assist private well owners by testing wells in areas with known PFAS contamination, providing educational information about PFAS, and helping those with tainted well water to consider solutions. Michigan is one of only 16 states to set enforceable standards for certain PFAS substances in drinking water. These standards are stricter than the EPA’s for current unenforceable health advisory levels.

Federal Support to Michigan within the past 5 years

CDC-funded Climate-Ready States & Cities Initiative
CDC-Funded Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
ATSDR State Cooperative Agreement Program
CDC National Asthma Control Program
CDC-funded Environmental Public Health Tracking Program
CDC State Biomonitoring Cooperative Agreement Program

Children’s Environmental Health Indicators Selection Criteria (click to expand):”]
Children’s environmental health indicators (CEHIs) are measures that can be used to assess environmental hazards, exposures, and their resulting health outcomes in children.  The below criteria are used when determining which indicators to utilize:

    • Relevance: Each headline indicator should be a clear, understandable indicator of children’s environmental health, with broad relevance for a range of audiences at the state level – with relevance to the national level.
    • Representativeness: The indicators as a package should provide a representative picture of children’s health and relation to the environment.
    • Traceability: Each indicator should be calculated using an agreed-upon (and published) method and accessible and verifiable data.
    • Timeliness: Each indicator should be calculated regularly (at least biennially), with a short lag between the end of the period and publication of the data.
    • Data adequacy: The available data needed for the indicator must be sufficiently robust, reliable and valid.
    • Universality: Indicators must be comparable across all or very nearly all 50 U.S. states. [/expand]

Indicator Notes and References

Safe Drinking Water

Air Quality

Warming Temperature

Toxic Chemicals

  • Indicator Note: EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) tracks the management of certain toxic chemicals that may pose a threat to human health and the environment. Certain industrial facilities in the U.S. must report annually how much of each chemical is disposed of or released on and off site. Many of these chemicals are known carcinogens, developmental toxicants, and neurotoxicants, such as arsenic, lead and mercury, that adversely impact children’s health.
  • Reference: Summary of 759 Toxic Release Inventory Facilities in Michigan. Reporting Year 2020.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Asthma

Pediatric Cancer

Blood Lead Levels

Poverty

Federal Support to Michigan

Michigan Spotlight

All children deserve and need a safe and healthy environment to grow and develop. They need clean air to breathe, safe water to drink, nutritious food to eat, and healthy places in which to live, learn, and play. Early exposure to harmful agents can lead to acute and chronic adverse outcomes. Infants and children are especially vulnerable to environmental exposures because they breathe, eat and drink more, in proportion to their body size, than do adults, and because their bodies and brains are still developing.

A blueprint for Protecting Children’s Environmental Health Network set out to identify a set of CEHIs that can be used to provide an understanding of children’s environmental health at the state level. Through this process, CEHN found that robust, valid, and regularly updated state level data–that are comparable across most states–were not readily accessible. States need adequate funding and capacity to collect and make accessible reliable CEHI data in order to set goals and track progress towards improving children’s health.

Children are our future – society has a moral obligation to protect them. Exposure to environmental hazards can and must be prevented. Prevention requires strong environmental regulations, fully funded and supportive public and environmental health programs and a robust workforce.

Colorado Children’s Environmental Health

kristiet_a0o04rjz on March 9, 2022

Colorado Children’s Environmental Health Profile

Did you know 71% of children under 18 in Colorado live in counties with unhealthy levels of ozone pollution? Or that 9.1% of children under age 18 had asthma (compared to the National average of 7.7%) in 2018-2019? There are 1.3 million children in Colorado, and approximately 12% of them live in poverty. Poverty is an important social determinant of health; poverty hurts children and their families. Children of color and young children are disproportionately poor and experience many issues that lead to adverse health outcomes. All children deserve a safe and healthy environment to grow and develop.

This report details key Colorado children’s environmental health indicators, federal support received by the state, and the work the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) are doing to protect children’s health.

Continue reading to learn more about how children living in Colorado are experiencing adverse health outcomes due to environmental exposures in their air, water, and food, or click the blue button to download the factsheet.

Key Children’s Environmental Health Indicators for Colorado

What is a Children’s Environmental Health Indicator?

See Indicator References

Safe Drinking Water: 40% of public water utilities had drinking water violations (2019).
National average: 32%
Air Quality: 71% of children under age 18 live in counties with unhealthy ozone pollution (2020)
Warming Temperatures: 2.9 degrees F warmer in 2018 than in 1970.
National average 2.5 degrees F warmer
Toxic Chemical Releases: 24.5 million pounds of toxic chemicals were disposed of or released (2018).
United States 3.8 billion pounds
Asthma: 6.5% of children under age 18 have asthma (2017)
Nationwide: 7.6%
Pediatric Cancer: 174 cases of pediatric cancer per 1 million population (2005-2015) Nationwide: 181.0 cases per 1 million
Blood lead levels: 1.0% of tested children under age 6 have elevated blood lead levels (2016)
Nationwide: 3.0%
Neurodevelopmental Disorders:8.8% of children age 3-17 have ADD or ADHD (2017-2018).
Nationwide: 8.7%.

2.9% of children age 3-17  have Autism Spectrum Disorder (2017)
Nationwide: 2.9%

Colorado Spotlight: 

Exposure to lead can seriously harm a child’s health, including damage to the brain and nervous system, reduced IQ, and learning disabilities. A common source of lead in drinking water are lead service lines (LSLs) which bring municipal water into homes. Full LSL, replacement is imperative to reduce the risk of lead exposure to millions of families, especially those in under-resourced communities and communities of color

In 2020 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule -the rule that is responsible for drinking water infrastructure and contaminants. There are several problems with the proposed revisions, including a lowered rate for required LSL replacements, With the proposed new rate, it could take more than 33 years for all LSLs in a poorly performing water system to be replaced.

However, cities and states are stepping up to protect their residents’ health. Denver Water’s Lead Reduction Program is undertaking aggressive action to fully replace all of the estimated 64,000-84,000 LSLs in its service area within 15 years. Vulnerable neighborhoods and properties that service large numbers of at-risk individuals, such as child care facilities will be prioritized in the replacement effort.

Federal Support to Colorado within the past 5 years

CDC-Funded Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
ATSDR State Cooperative Agreement Program
CDC National Asthma Control Program
CDC-funded Environmental Public Health Tracking Program
CDC State Biomonitoring Cooperative Agreement Program

Children’s Environmental Health Indicators Selection Criteria 
Children’s environmental health indicators (CEHIs) are measures that can be used to assess environmental hazards, exposures, and their resulting health outcomes in children. The below criteria are used when determining which indicators to utilize:

    • Relevance: Each headline indicator should be a clear, understandable indicator of children’s environmental health, with broad relevance for a range of audiences at the state level – with relevance to the national level.
    • Representativeness: The indicators as a package should provide a representative picture of children’s health and relation to the environment.
    • Traceability: Each indicator should be calculated using an agreed-upon (and published) method and accessible and verifiable data.
    • Timeliness: Each indicator should be calculated regularly (at least biennially), with a short lag between the end of the period and publication of the data.
    • Data adequacy: The available data needed for the indicator must be sufficiently robust, reliable and valid.
    • Universality: Indicators must be comparable across all or very nearly all 50 U.S. states. [/expand]

Indicator Notes and References

Safe Drinking Water

Air Quality

Warming Temperature

Toxic Chemicals

  • Indicator Note: EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) tracks the management of certain toxic chemicals that may pose a threat to human health and the environment. Certain industrial facilities in the U.S. must report annually how much of each chemical is disposed of or released on and off site. Many of these chemicals are known carcinogens, developmental toxicants, and neurotoxicants, such as arsenic, lead and mercury, that adversely impact children’s health.
  • Reference: Summary of 241 Toxic Release Inventory Facilities in Colorado. Reporting Year 2018. Accessed on April 28, 2020.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Asthma

Pediatric Cancer

Indicator Note: Although cancer in children is rare, the rate of pediatric cancer has been increasing since the 1970s. It is the leading disease related cause of death past infancy in U.S. children, Neither genetics nor improved diagnostic techniques can explain the increased rate. According to the President’s Cancer Panel’s 2008-2009 Annual Report, “the true burden of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated”

Blood Lead Levels

  • Indicator Note: In 2016, 6.6% of Colorado children under age 6 were tested for blood lead levels (BLLs). Of those tested, 1% had a BLL>= 5 µg/dL. Often the most vulnerable children are not tested, and not all who are tested get reported, so 1% is likely an underestimate of the true scope of children’s elevated blood lead in Colorado. There is no safe level of lead exposure for children. A potent neurotoxicant, lead reduces IQ and impairs other cognitive, behavioral and developmental functions. In 2021, the CDC lowered the BLL reference value from 5 to 3.5 µg/dL.
  • Reference: National Childhood Blood Lead Surveillance Data. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed on March 25, 2020 

Poverty

Support to Colorado

Colorado Spotlight

All children deserve and need a safe and healthy environment to grow and develop. They need clean air to breathe, safe water to drink, nutritious food to eat, and healthy places in which to live, learn, and play. Early exposure to harmful agents can lead to acute and chronic adverse outcomes. Infants and children are especially vulnerable to environmental exposures because they breathe, eat and drink more, in proportion to their body size, than do adults, and because their bodies and brains are still developing.

A blueprint for Protecting Children’s Environmental Health Network set out to identify a set of CEHIs that can be used to provide an understanding of children’s environmental health at the state level. Through this process, CEHN found that robust, valid, and regularly updated state level data–that are comparable across most states–were not readily accessible. States need adequate funding and capacity to collect and make accessible reliable CEHI data in order to set goals and track progress towards improving children’s health.

Children are our future – society has a moral obligation to protect them. Exposure to environmental hazards can and must be prevented. Prevention requires strong environmental regulations, fully funded and supportive public and environmental health programs and a robust workforce.

Florida Children’s Environmental Health

kristiet_a0o04rjz on March 9, 2022

Florida Children’s Environmental Health Profile

Did you know 50% of children under 18 in Florida live in counties with unhealthy levels of ozone pollution? Or that 9.1% of children under age 18 had asthma (compared to the National average of 7.7%) in 2018-2019? There are 4.3 million children in Florida, and approximately 20% of them live in poverty. Poverty is an important social determinant of health; poverty hurts children and their families. Children of color and young children are disproportionately poor and experience many issues that lead to adverse health outcomes. All children deserve a safe and healthy environment to grow and develop.

This profile highlights key Florida children’s environmental health indicators, federal support received by the state for environmental health, health equity and climate and health programs, and a spotlight feature in a children’s environmental health-related topical issues.

Continue reading to learn more about environmental hazards, children’s exposures, and children’s health outcomes in Florida, or click the blue button to download the profile as a PDF.

Key Children’s Environmental Health Indicators for Florida

What is a Children’s Environmental Health Indicator?

See Indicator References

Safe Drinking Water: 30% of public water utilities had drinking water violations (2019)
National average: 31%
Air Quality: 21% of children under age 18 live in counties with unhealthy ozone pollution (2020)
Warming Temperatures: 2 degrees F warmer in 2018 than in 1970.
National average 2.5 degrees F warmer
Toxic Chemical Releases: 61.4 million pounds of toxic chemicals were disposed of or released (2018).
United States 3.8 billion pounds
Asthma: 9.5% of children under age 18 have asthma (2017- 2018)
Nationwide: 7.6%
Pediatric Cancer: 189.4 cases of pediatric cancer per 1 million population (2005-2015)
Nationwide: 181.0 cases per 1 million
Blood lead levels: 1.7% of tested children under age 6 have elevated blood lead levels (2012).
Nationwide: 2.4%
Neurodevelopmental Disorders:9.8% of children age 3-17 have ADD or ADHD (2017-2018).
Nationwide: 8.9%. 

1.2% of children age 3-17  have Autism Spectrum Disorder (2017- 2018)
Nationwide: 2.9%

Florida Spotlight

Climate change is one of the greatest threats to public health and to the safety of future generations. State and local governments are increasingly leading the way and taking urgent climate action into their own hands. Florida shoulders significant risks from climate change–form sea level rise and loss of critical coastline, to an increase in extreme heat days and more severe weather events. One example of Florida-driven innovation is the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, developed in 2010 by Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach Counties. Through this compact, the counties have been working cooperatively across county lines to develop annual legislative programs and create a Southeast Florida Regional Climate Action Plan.

The plan provides a set of recommendations, guidelines for implementation, and shared best practices for local entities to act in-line with the regional agenda. In addition to providing recommendations in areas including agriculture, transportation, water, and energy and fuel, the plan explicitly addresses public health, public outreach and engagement, and social equity. Local entities can opt to create personalized plans based on their priority focus areas.

Federal Support to Florida within the past 5 years

CDC-Funded Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
ATSDR State Cooperative Agreement Program
CDC National Asthma Control Program
CDC-funded Environmental Public Health Tracking Program
CDC State Biomonitoring Cooperative Agreement Program

Children’s Environmental Health Indicators Selection Criteria
Children’s environmental health indicators (CEHIs) are measures that can be used to assess environmental hazards, exposures, and their resulting health outcomes in children.  The below criteria are used when determining which indicators to utilize:

    • Relevance: Each headline indicator should be a clear, understandable indicator of children’s environmental health, with broad relevance for a range of audiences at the state level – with relevance to the national level.
    • Representativeness: The indicators as a package should provide a representative picture of children’s health and relation to the environment.
    • Traceability: Each indicator should be calculated using an agreed-upon (and published) method and accessible and verifiable data.
    • Timeliness: Each indicator should be calculated regularly (at least biennially), with a short lag between the end of the period and publication of the data.
    • Data adequacy: The available data needed for the indicator must be sufficiently robust, reliable and valid.
    • Universality: Indicators must be comparable across all or very nearly all 50 U.S. states. [/expand]

Indicator Notes and References

Safe Drinking Water

Air Quality

Warming Temperature

Toxic Chemicals

  • Indicator Note: EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) tracks the management of certain toxic chemicals that may pose a threat to human health and the environment. Certain industrial facilities in the U.S. must report annually how much of each chemical is disposed of or released on and off site. Many of these chemicals are known carcinogens, developmental toxicants, and neurotoxicants, such as arsenic, lead and mercury, that adversely impact children’s health.
  • Reference: Summary of 686 Toxic Release Inventory Facilities in Florida. Reporting Year 2018. Accessed April 28, 2020.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Asthma

Pediatric Cancer

Blood Lead Levels

Poverty

Federal Support to Florida

Florida Spotlight

All children deserve and need a safe and healthy environment to grow and develop. They need clean air to breathe, safe water to drink, nutritious food to eat, and healthy places in which to live, learn, and play. Early exposure to harmful agents can lead to acute and chronic adverse outcomes. Infants and children are especially vulnerable to environmental exposures because they breathe, eat and drink more, in proportion to their body size, than do adults, and because their bodies and brains are still developing.

A blueprint for Protecting Children’s Environmental Health Network set out to identify a set of CEHIs that can be used to provide an understanding of children’s environmental health at the state level. Through this process, CEHN found that robust, valid, and regularly updated state level data–that are comparable across most states–were not readily accessible. States need adequate funding and capacity to collect and make accessible reliable CEHI data in order to set goals and track progress towards improving children’s health.

Children are our future – society has a moral obligation to protect them. Exposure to environmental hazards can and must be prevented. Prevention requires strong environmental regulations, fully funded and supportive public and environmental health programs and a robust workforce.

California Children’s Environmental Health

kristiet_a0o04rjz on March 9, 2022

California Children’s Environmental Health Profile

Did you know 89% of children under 18 in California live in counties with unhealthy levels of ozone pollution? Or that 3.3% of children under age 18 had Autism Spectrum Disorder (compared to the National average of 2.9%) in 2018-2019? There are 8.9 million children in California, and approximately 16% of them live in poverty. Poverty is an important social determinant of health; poverty hurts children and their families. Children of color and young children are disproportionately poor and experience many issues that lead to adverse health outcomes. All children deserve a safe and healthy environment to grow and develop.

This profile highlights key California children’s environmental health indicators, federal support received by the states for environmental health, health equity and climate and health programs, and a spotlight feature on a children’s environmental-health related topical issue.

Continue reading to learn more about environmental hazards, children’s exposures, and children’s health outcomes in California, or click the blue button to download the profile as a PDF.

Key Children’s Environmental Health Indicators for California

What is a Children’s Environmental Health Indicator?

See Indicator References

Safe Drinking Water: 21% of public water utilities had drinking water violations.
National average: 30%
Air Quality: 89% of children under age 18 live in counties with unhealthy ozone pollution
Warming Temperatures: 2.7 degrees F warmer in 2020 than in 1970.
National average 2.8 degrees F warmer
Toxic Chemical Releases: 39.2 million pounds of toxic chemicals were disposed of or released.
United States 3.4 billion pounds
Asthma: 7.4% of children under age 18 have asthma (2018- 2019)
Nationwide: 7.7%
Pediatric Cancer: 181 cases of pediatric cancer per 1 million population (2005-2015) Nationwide: 181 cases per 1 million
Blood lead levels: 1.48% of tested children under age 6 have elevated blood lead levels (2018)
Nationwide: 2.6%
Neurodevelopmental Disorders:5.6% of children age 3-17 have ADD or ADHD (2018-2019).
Nationwide: 8.7%.

3.3% of children age 3-17  have Autism Spectrum Disorder (2018- 2019)
Nationwide: 2.9%

California Spotlight: Climate Change and Health Vulnerability Planning Tool

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) seeks to reduce and prevent adverse and inequitable physical and mental health impacts associated with climate change. With partial funding from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s Climate Ready States and Cities Initiative, the CDPH Climate Change and Health Equity Section and its CalBRACE Project developed Climate Change & Health Vulnerability Indicators for California (CCHVIs) and an online interactive platform to visualize the data, CCHVIz, These tools assist with climate change planning and prioritizing actions to protect people most at risk, including children.

The CCHVIz displays three categories of indicators that influence vulnerability to health impacts of climate change: exposure indicators including heat, air quality, wildfires, and sea level rise; population sensitivity indicators including children, elderly, poverty, education, outdoor workers, vehicle ownership, linguistic isolation, disability, health insurance, and violent crime rate; and adaptive capacity indicators including air conditioning ownership, tree canopy, and impervious surfaces.

The CCHVIz provides health officials and planners with an online snapshot to compare their county’s indicators to the state average. They can view risk by census tract for specific indicators, such as children under age 5, and their breakdown by race and ethnicity. The tool also plots the intersections of exposure indicators (e.g., ozone concentration) with sensitivity indicators (e.g., population under 5 years of age) to learn where children are susceptible to air pollution, extreme heat, wildfire, or other threats. The CCHVIz is an excellent resource for State and local officials in California to plan to prevent and prepare for climate change-related health impacts to young children, especially children of color and children in under-resourced communities.

Federal Support to California within the past 5 years

CDC-funded Climate-Ready States & Cities Initiative
CDC-funded Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
ATSDR State Cooperative Agreement Program
CDC National Asthma Control Program
CDC-funded Environmental Public Health Tracking Program
CDC State Biomonitoring Cooperative Agreement Program

Children’s Environmental Health Indicators Selection Criteria
Children’s environmental health indicators (CEHIs) are measures that can be used to assess environmental hazards, exposures, and their resulting health outcomes in children.  The below criteria are used when determining which indicators to utilize:

    • Relevance: Each headline indicator should be a clear, understandable indicator of children’s environmental health, with broad relevance for a range of audiences at the state level – with relevance to the national level.
    • Representativeness: The indicators as a package should provide a representative picture of children’s health and relation to the environment.
    • Traceability: Each indicator should be calculated using an agreed-upon (and published) method and accessible and verifiable data.
    • Timeliness: Each indicator should be calculated regularly (at least biennially), with a short lag between the end of the period and publication of the data.
    • Data adequacy: The available data needed for the indicator must be sufficiently robust, reliable and valid.
    • Universality: Indicators must be comparable across all or very nearly all 50 U.S. states. [/expand]

Indicator Notes and References

Safe Drinking Water

Air Quality

Warming Temperature

  • Indicator Note: Warming matters — it drives most of the hazards associated with climate change such as extreme weather, heat days, droughts and heavy downpours. Children are more vulnerable to harm from extreme heat and to the other cascading effects of warming temperatures.
  • Reference: AMERICAN WARMING: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Climate at a Glance: Statewide Time Series, retrieved July 2021 from https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/.

Toxic Chemicals

  • Indicator Note: EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) tracks the management of certain toxic chemicals that may pose a threat to human health and the environment. Certain industrial facilities in the U.S. must report annually how much of each chemical is disposed of or released on and off site. Many of these chemicals are known carcinogens, developmental toxicants, and neurotoxicants, such as arsenic, lead and mercury, that adversely impact children’s health.
  • Reference: Summary of 263 Toxic Release Inventory Facilities in California. Reporting Year 2019. Accessed June, 2021.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Asthma

Pediatric Cancer

Blood Lead Levels

Poverty

Federal Support to California

California Spotlight”]

All children deserve and need a safe and healthy environment to grow and develop. They need clean air to breathe, safe water to drink, nutritious food to eat, and healthy places in which to live, learn, and play. Early exposure to harmful agents can lead to acute and chronic adverse outcomes. Infants and children are especially vulnerable to environmental exposures because they breathe, eat and drink more, in proportion to their body size, than do adults, and because their bodies and brains are still developing.

A blueprint for Protecting Children’s Environmental Health Network set out to identify a set of CEHIs that can be used to provide an understanding of children’s environmental health at the state level. Through this process, CEHN found that robust, valid, and regularly updated state level data–that are comparable across most states–were not readily accessible. States need adequate funding and capacity to collect and make accessible reliable CEHI data in order to set goals and track progress towards improving children’s health.

Children are our future – society has a moral obligation to protect them. Exposure to environmental hazards can and must be prevented. Prevention requires strong environmental regulations, fully funded and supportive public and environmental health programs and a robust workforce.

Arizona Children’s Environmental Health

kristiet_a0o04rjz on March 9, 2022

Arizona Children’s Environmental Health Profile

Did you know 87% of children under 18 in Arizona live in counties with unhealthy levels of ozone pollution? Or that 53% of public water utilities in the state experienced drinking water violations (compared to the National average of 32%) in 2019?  There are 1.7 million children in Arizona, and approximately 20% of them live in poverty. Poverty is an important social determinant of health; poverty hurts children and their families. Children of color and young children are disproportionately poor and experience many issues that lead to adverse health outcomes. All children deserve a safe and healthy environment to grow and develop.

This profile highlights key Arizona children’s environmental health indicators, federal support received by the state for environmental health, health equity and climate and health programs, and a spotlight feature on a children’s environmental health-related topical issue.

Continue reading to learn more about environmental hazards, children’s expoures, and children’ health outcomes in Arizona, or click the blue button to download the profile as a PDF.

Key Children’s Environmental Health Indicators for Arizona

What is a Children’s Environmental Health Indicator?

See Indicator References

​

Safe Drinking Water: 53% of public water utilities had drinking water violations.
National average: 32%
Air Quality: 87% of children under age 18 live in counties with unhealthy ozone pollution
Warming Temperatures: 3.2 degrees F warmer in 2018 than in 1970:
National average 2.5 degrees F
Toxic Chemical Releases: 170.6 million pounds of toxic chemicals were disposed of or released.
United States: 3.8 billion pounds
Asthma: 7.5% of children under age 18 have asthma (2017- 2018)
Nationwide: 7.6%
Pediatric Cancer: 176.9 cases of pediatric cancer per 1 million population (2005-2015)
Nationwide: 181.0 cases per 1 million
Blood lead levels: 0.3% of tested children under age 6 have elevated blood lead levels (2017)
Nationwide: 3%
Neurodevelopmental Disorders: 6.9% of children age 3-17 have ADD or ADHD (2017-2018).
Nationwide: 8.7%.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders: 3.1% of children age 3-17  have Autism Spectrum Disorder (2017- 2018)
Nationwide: 2.9% 

Arizona Spotlight: Navajo Community Groups Dine C.A.R.E and To Nizhoni Ani 

The Navajo Nation has faced years of environmental contamination from historical uranium mining and the placement of coal-powered incinerators on their lands. Their residents have suffered from breathing coal ash and polluted air. Uranium mining was banned in 2005 but has left a legacy of extraction contaminated water sources, including private wells.

Two Navajo community groups —Dine C.A.R.E. (Navajo Citizens Against Ruining our Environment) and To Nizhoni Ani (Sacred Water Speaks)–have been working to address these injustices for years. An overarching goal of their efforts is to make sure that the Navajo Nation transitions from an over-reliance on coal as an economic engine to more affordable and sustainable sources of energy, They are prioritizing and promoting sources that do not pollute Navajo air, land and water – and that are in line with their Dine way of life and fundamental principles. These organizations are recognized as leaders on these issues They collaborate with national environmental organizations, travel to Washington DC to advocate on behalf of the Navajo Nation and are committed to finding clean energy solutions and associated jobs on Navajo lands.

Federal Support to Arizona within the past 5 years

CDC Funded Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
CDC Funded Environmental Public Health Tracking Program
CDC State Biomonitoring Cooperative Agreement Program
  ATSDR State Cooperative Agreement Program
  CDC National Asthma Control Program

Children’s Environmental Health Indicators Selection Criteria 
Children’s environmental health indicators (CEHIs) are measures that can be used to assess environmental hazards, exposures, and their resulting health outcomes in children.  The below criteria are used when determining which indicators to utilize:

    • Relevance: Each headline indicator should be a clear, understandable indicator of children’s environmental health, with broad relevance for a range of audiences at the state level – with relevance to the national level.
    • Representativeness: The indicators as a package should provide a representative picture of children’s health and relation to the environment.
    • Traceability: Each indicator should be calculated using an agreed-upon (and published) method and accessible and verifiable data.
    • Timeliness: Each indicator should be calculated regularly (at least biennially), with a short lag between the end of the period and publication of the data.
    • Data adequacy: The available data needed for the indicator must be sufficiently robust, reliable and valid.
    • Universality: Indicators must be comparable across all or very nearly all 50 U.S. states. [/expand]

Indicator Notes and References

Safe Drinking Water

Air Quality

Warming Temperature

Toxic Chemicals

  • Indicator Note: EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) tracks the management of certain toxic chemicals that may pose a threat to human health and the environment. Certain industrial facilities in the U.S. must report annually how much of each chemical is disposed of or released on and off site. Many of these chemicals are known carcinogens, developmental toxicants, and neurotoxicants, such as arsenic, lead and mercury, that adversely impact children’s health.
  • Reference: Summary of 263 Toxic Release Inventory Facilities in Arizona. Reporting Year 2018. Accessed on April 28, 2020.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Asthma

Pediatric Cancer

Blood Lead Levels

Poverty

Federal Support to Arizona

Arizona Spotlight

All children deserve and need a safe and healthy environment to grow and develop. They need clean air to breathe, safe water to drink, nutritious food to eat, and healthy places in which to live, learn, and play. Early exposure to harmful agents can lead to acute and chronic adverse outcomes. Infants and children are especially vulnerable to environmental exposures because they breathe, eat and drink more, in proportion to their body size, than do adults, and because their bodies and brains are still developing.

A blueprint for Protecting Children’s Environmental Health Network set out to identify a set of CEHIs that can be used to provide an understanding of children’s environmental health at the state level. Through this process, CEHN found that robust, valid, and regularly updated state level data–that are comparable across most states–were not readily accessible. States need adequate funding and capacity to collect and make accessible reliable CEHI data in order to set goals and track progress towards improving children’s health.

Children are our future – society has a moral obligation to protect them. Exposure to environmental hazards can and must be prevented. Prevention requires strong environmental regulations, fully funded and supportive public and environmental health programs and a robust workforce.

Maternal Health and the Environment

kristiet_a0o04rjz on February 25, 2022

Maternal Health and the Environment

By Kathy Attar, Program Manager, Eco-Healthy Child Care®

March 2022

Celebrate women this month–take action to reduce harmful environmental exposures!

Numerous environmental chemicals can harm a women’s health during and after pregnancy. A pregnant woman’s chemical exposures may also affect the baby’s health.

Maternal health refers to pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.

Environmental Pollution and Health Outcomes

Pregnant women may be exposed to harmful chemicals through contaminated air and water, consumer products, and food. Traffic-related pollution is associated with infertility, increased pregnancy loss, and hypertension in pregnancy. Exposure to pesticides has been shown to increase breast cancer risk. Chemicals that interfere with the endocrine system, such as phthalates and bisphenols often found in consumer products (e.g. plastics, fragrances) may play a role in the development of uterine fibroids. 

Environmental Injustice

Health inequalities exist–Black, Latinx, and Indigenous women are more likely to be exposed to environmental pollution and harmful chemicals. These women also suffer worse outcomes. For example, Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native women in the U.S. are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. Black women tend to develop uterine fibroids earlier in life and experience more severe symptoms than women of other races.

Take Action to Protect Maternal Health

Enroll in Eco-Healthy Child Care®’s Protecting Children’s Environmental Health e-course. The course offers easy, low-cost tips for reducing environmental hazards in child care facilities. Protect children’s health and the health of staff (who are predominately women of child-bearing age) from pesticides, lead, and harmful chemicals found in common cleaning products by eliminating exposures. The e-course is available in English and Spanish.

Work towards changing systems to reduce exposures to harmful environmental pollutants. Join Breast Cancer Action in supporting the No PFAS in Cosmetics Act.   PFAS is a growing class of chemicals, which can be toxic, and may increase breast cancer risk. A recent study found that PFAS were present in just over half of the makeup products tested.

La salud materna y el medio ambiente

Celebre a las mujeres este mes: ¡tome medidas para reducir las exposiciones ambientales dañinas!

Numerosos químicos ambientales pueden dañar la salud de la mujer durante y después del embarazo. Las exposiciones químicas de una mujer embarazada también pueden afectar la salud del bebé.

La salud materna se refiere al embarazo, el parto y el periodo posparto.

Contaminación ambiental y resultados de salud

Las mujeres embarazadas pueden estar expuestas a sustancias químicas nocivas a través del aire y el agua, los productos de consumo y los alimentos contaminados. La contaminación relacionada con el tráfico se asocia con infertilidad, aumento de la pérdida de embarazo e hipertensión durante el embarazo. Se ha demostrado que la exposición a pesticidas aumenta el riesgo de cáncer de mama. Los productos químicos que interfieren con el sistema endocrino, como los ftalatos y los bisfenoles que a menudo se encuentran en los productos de consumo (p. ej., plásticos, fragancias) pueden desempeñar un papel en el desarrollo de los fibromas uterinos. 

Injusticia ambiental

Existen desigualdades en la salud: las mujeres negras, latinxs e indígenas tienen más probabilidades de estar expuestas a la contaminación ambiental y los productos químicos nocivos. Estas mujeres también sufren peores resultados. Por ejemplo, las mujeres negras, indias americanas y nativas de Alaska en los EE. UU. tienen entre dos y tres veces más probabilidades de morir por causas relacionadas con el embarazo que las mujeres blancas. Las mujeres negras tienden a desarrollar fibromas uterinos a una edad más temprana y experimentan síntomas más graves que las mujeres de otras razas.

Tome medidas para proteger la salud materna

Inscríbase en el curso de Eco-Healthy Child Care® Protección de la salud ambiental de los niños. El curso ofrece consejos sencillos y de bajo costo para reducir los peligros ambientales en las instalaciones de cuidado infantil. Proteja la salud de los niños y la salud del personal (que son predominantemente mujeres en edad fértil) de los pesticidas, el plomo y los productos químicos nocivos que se encuentran en los productos de limpieza comunes eliminando las exposiciones. El curso electrónico está disponible en inglés y español.

Trabajar para cambiar los sistemas para reducir la exposición a contaminantes ambientales nocivos. Únase a Breast Cancer Action para apoyar la Ley No PFAS en Cosméticos. PFAS es una clase creciente de productos químicos que pueden ser tóxicos y pueden aumentar el riesgo de cáncer de mama. Un estudio reciente encontró que los PFAS estaban presentes en poco más de la mitad de los productos de maquillaje probados.

Get the Lead Out of Children’s Food

kristiet_a0o04rjz on January 26, 2022

Get the Lead Out of Children’s Food

By Kathy Attar, Program Manager, Eco-Healthy Child Care®

February 2022

Getting the lead out of food, especially foods specifically intended for children will help protect health.

A 2019 study found that 95% of tested baby foods contain toxic chemicals, including arsenic and lead.

There is no safe level of lead exposure. Lead is particularly dangerous to children because their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults do and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. 

Children can be exposed to lead by:

  • Eating and drinking contaminated food or water;
  • Eating or drinking from dishes or glasses made with lead paint;
  • Inhaling lead dust from lead-based paint or lead-contaminated soil;
  • Playing with toys that contain lead paint; or 
  • Drinking infant formula made with lead-contaminated water. 

Numerous studies have highlighted the problem of heavy metals in food, particularly in baby food. Lead can enter food from soil and water sources; and also through processing, when foods come into contact with materials containing the heavy metal. For example, an Environmental Defense Fund analysis of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) data found lead detected in 98% of canned fruits compared to only 3% in fresh or frozen varieties — highlighting the canning process as the source of the heavy metal.

We need stronger regulations that will lower our risk of potential lead exposures from food sources.

In 2020, a group of organizations sent a petition to the FDA requesting they revise their lead-in food standards to better protect the public’s health. The petition asks the FDA to stop allowing lead to be added to materials that come into contact with food, to update its guidance to better protect against the risk of lead exposure, and to lower the amount of lead allowed in bottled water. 

What can families do to reduce lead in food exposures NOW:

  • Sign the petition and tell the FDA to eliminate arsenic and lead from puffs baby food snacks. 
  • Choose safer snack options:
    • Rice-free snacks and cereals; 
    • Tap water filtered for lead instead of juice; and
    • Fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables instead of those that are canned.

Child care providers who would like to learn more about science-based best practices for reducing lead hazards in their child care can view the Lead-Safe Toolkit. A FREE resource that includes a poster, policies, and worksheets focused on reducing lead in paint, soil, water, and consumer products hazards in the child care environment. The toolkit and associated resources are also available in Spanish. 

Saque el plomo de la comida de los niños

Eliminar el plomo de los alimentos, especialmente los alimentos específicamente destinados para los niños, ayudará a proteger la salud.

Un estudio del 2019 encontró que el 95 % de los alimentos para bebés analizados contienen sustancias químicas tóxicas, como arsénico y plomo.

No existe un nivel seguro de exposición al plomo. El plomo es particularmente peligroso para los niños porque sus cuerpos en crecimiento absorben más plomo que los adultos y sus cerebros y sistemas nerviosos son más sensibles a los efectos dañinos del plomo. 

Los niños pueden estar expuestos al plomo al:

  • Comer y beber agua o alimentos contaminados;
  • Comer o beber en platos o vasos hechos con pintura a base de plomo;
  • Inhalar polvo de plomo de pintura a base de plomo o suelo contaminado con plomo;
  • Jugar con juguetes que contengan pintura con plomo; o 
  • Beber fórmula infantil hecha con agua contaminada con plomo. 

Numerosos estudios han puesto de relieve el problema de los metales pesados ​​en los alimentos, especialmente en los alimentos para bebés. El plomo puede entrar en los alimentos de fuentes de tierra y agua; y también a través del procesamiento, cuando los alimentos entran en contacto con materiales que contienen el metal pesado. Por ejemplo, un análisis del Environmental Defense Fund (Fondo de Defensa Ambiental) de los datos de la Food and Drug Administration FDA (Administración de Drogas y Alimentos) encontró plomo detectado en el 98% de las frutas enlatadas en comparación con sólo el 3% en variedades frescas o congeladas, destacando el proceso de enlatado como la fuente del metal pesado.

Necesitamos regulaciones más estrictas que reduzcan nuestro riesgo de posibles exposiciones al plomo de fuentes de alimentos.

En el 2020, un grupo de organizaciones envió una petición a la FDA solicitando que revisen sus estándares de alimentos de entrada para proteger mejor la salud del público. La petición le pide a la FDA que deje de permitir que se agregue plomo a los materiales que entran en contacto con los alimentos, que actualice su guía para proteger mejor contra el riesgo de exposición al plomo y que reduzca la cantidad de plomo permitida en el agua embotellada. 

¿Qué pueden hacer las familias para reducir la exposición al plomo en los alimentos AHORA?

  • Firme la petición y dígale a la FDA que elimine el arsénico y el plomo de los bocadillos de comida para bebés. 
  • Elija opciones de bocadillos más seguras:
    • Meriendas y cereales sin arroz;
    • Agua del grifo filtrada para plomo en lugar de jugo; y
    • Frutas y verduras frescas o congeladas en lugar de las enlatadas.

Los proveedores de cuidado infantil que deseen obtener más información sobre las mejores prácticas basadas en la ciencia para reducir los peligros del plomo en su cuidado infantil pueden ver el Kit de herramientas sin plomo. Un recurso GRATUITO que incluye un cartel, políticas y hojas de trabajo enfocadas en reducir los peligros del plomo en la pintura, el suelo, el agua y los productos de consumo en los centros de cuidado infantil. El kit de herramientas y los recursos asociados también están disponibles en español. 

Let’s Resolve to Reduce Our Plastic Use in the New Year

kristiet_a0o04rjz on December 14, 2021

Let’s Resolve to Reduce Our Plastic Use in the New Year

By Kathy Attar, Program Manager, Eco-Healthy Child Care®

January 2022

During the start of a new year, we often reflect on the months ahead and resolve to continue good practices, change undesired behaviors, or improve our overall well-being. 

Why not choose to reduce your use of plastic in the home or child care setting?

Plastics are everywhere in our economy and each year more end up in our environment and landfills. 

The EPA estimates that in 2018, only about 14% of plastic was recycled, which means that the other 86% either becomes litter, landfill or is burned for energy—and needs to be replaced with new virgin plastics next year.

Certain plastics contain chemicals that are harmful to human health even at low levels of exposure. Soft, flexible plastics are often made with chemicals called phthalates, and hard clear plastics are often made with a chemical called bisphenol-A (BPA). These ingredients can interfere with hormones (such as estrogen and testosterone) and may disrupt a child’s normal development and growth. 

BPA and phthalates have been linked to cancer, diabetes, obesity, infertility, and behavioral problems. Polystyrene plastic products, including disposable dining-ware, foam, and packaging products, can expose children to styrene, a known neurotoxicant, and suspected carcinogen.

The full life-cycle of plastics from production-to use-to disposal is harmful to human health and the environment.

Most consumers aren’t aware that communities that live next door to plastic-producing factories are sickened from toxic chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde emitted by these facilities. Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and low-income families are more likely to live in these fenceline neighborhoods.

What is the plastics-climate change-environmental justice connection?

The oil and gas industry is shifting from fossil fuels for energy and transportation to plastics. With dozens of new plastics manufacturing and recycling facilities in development, the U.S. plastics industry will produce more greenhouse gas emissions than coal-fired power plants by 2030. Ninety percent of the climate pollution from U.S. plastics plants occurs in just 18 communities that are mostly in the poorer parts of Texas and Louisiana.

What are the solutions to our plastics problem?

  • We need more cities, campuses, and companies to set goals to achieve zero waste.
  • We must require producers to take more responsibility for their products during their entire life cycle (production, use, and disposal).
  • Banning single-use plastic items that are not easily recyclable would assist tremendously in reducing pollution and waste.
  • As waste is reduced, we must ensure that all toxic waste is disposed of safely.

There are success stories--many college campuses are building systems to manage waste and prioritize reusables over disposable products. 

What can the consumer do now?

Tell your governor to ban single-use plastic in your state. Use U.S. Pirg’s take action page to send a message to your governor.

In your home or child care:

  1. Replace paper napkins and towels with cloth napkins and towels that can be laundered and reused. 
  2. Avoid using disposable plates, cups, and utensils/cutlery. Opt for glass, pyrex, or porcelain food and drink containers whenever possible. Stainless steel drinking containers are ok for use with water. 
  3. Buy/sell used items; always check with the Consumer Product Safety Commission website for product recalls before purchasing used toys and equipment. 
  4. To avoid excess packaging, buy staple food items in bulk and use your own reusable storage containers (i.e., glass jars). 
  5. Use reusable bags for shopping; opt for cloth bags as they are sturdy and can be laundered.

Resolvamos reducir nuestro uso de plástico en el año nuevo

Durante el comienzo de un nuevo año, a menudo reflexionamos sobre los meses venideros y decidimos continuar con las buenas prácticas, cambiar los comportamientos no deseados o mejorar nuestro bienestar general. 

¿Por qué no optar por reducir el uso de plástico en el hogar o en el entorno de cuidado infantil?

Los plásticos están en todas partes en nuestra economía y cada año más terminan en nuestro medio ambiente y vertederos. 

La EPA calcula que en 2018, sólo alrededor del 14% del plástico fue reciclado, lo que significa que el otro 86% se convierte en basura, en vertederos o se quema para obtener energía, y que necesita ser reemplazado por nuevos plásticos vírgenes el próximo año.

Ciertos plásticos contienen sustancias químicas que son dañinas para la salud humana incluso en niveles bajos de exposición. Los plásticos blandos y flexibles a menudo se fabrican con productos químicos llamados ftalatos, y los plásticos duros y transparentes a menudo se fabrican con un químico llamado bisfenol-A (BPA). Estos ingredientes pueden interferir con las hormonas (como el estrógeno y la testosterona) y pueden alterar el desarrollo y crecimiento normal de los niños. 

El BPA y los ftalatos se han relacionado con el cáncer, la diabetes, la obesidad, la infertilidad y los problemas de conducta. Los productos de plástico de poliestireno, incluidos los productos desechables de comedor, espuma y embalaje, pueden exponer a los niños al estireno, un neurotóxico conocido y la sospecha de carcinógeno.

El ciclo de vida completo de los plásticos, desde la producción hasta el uso y la eliminación, es perjudicial para la salud humana y el medio ambiente.

La mayoría de los consumidores no son conscientes de que las comunidades que viven al lado de las fábricas de plástico se enferman por los productos químicos tóxicos como el benceno y el formaldehído emitidos por estas instalaciones. Las familias negras, latinx, indígenas y de bajos ingresos tienen más probabilidades de vivir en estos vecindarios cercados.

¿Cuál es la conexión plástico-cambio climático-justicia ambiental?

La Industria del petróleo y el gas está pasando de los combustibles fósiles para la energía y el transporte a los plásticos. Con docenas de nuevas instalaciones de fabricación y reciclaje de plásticos en desarrollo, la industria estadounidense de plásticos producirá más emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero que las plantas de energía a carbón para 2030. El noventa por ciento de la contaminación climática de las plantas de plásticos estadounidenses ocurre en sólo 18 comunidades que se encuentran principalmente en las partes más pobres de Texas y Louisiana.

¿Cuáles son las soluciones a nuestro problema de plásticos?

  • Necesitamos más ciudades, campus y empresas para establecer objetivos para lograr cero residuos.
  • Debemos exigir a los productores que asuman más responsabilidad por sus productos durante todo su ciclo de vida (producción, uso y eliminación).
  • Prohibir los artículos de plástico de un solo uso que no son fácilmente reciclables ayudaría enormemente a reducir la contaminación y los desechos.
  • A medida que se reducen los desechos, debemos asegurarnos de que todos los desechos tóxicos se eliminen de manera segura.

Hay historias de éxito: muchos campus universitarios están construyendo sistemas para gestionar los desechos y priorizar los reutilizables sobre los productos desechables. 

¿Qué puede hacer el consumidor ahora?

Dígale a su gobernador que prohíba el plástico de un solo uso en su estado. Utilice la página U.S. Pirg’s take action page (página de acción de U.S. Pirg) para enviar un mensaje a su gobernador.

En su hogar o en su entorno de cuidado infantil:

  1. Reemplace las servilletas de papel y las toallas por servilletas y toallas de tela que se puedan lavar y reutilizar. 
  2. Evite el uso de platos, vasos y utensilios / cubiertos desechables. Siempre que sea posible, opte por recipientes para alimentos y bebidas de vidrio, pyrex o porcelana. Los recipientes para beber de acero inoxidable se pueden usar con agua. 
  3. Comprar / vender artículos usados; siempre consulte con el sitio web del Consumer Product Safety Commission (Comisión de Seguridad de Productos del Consumidor) para conocer los retiros de productos antes de comprar juguetes y equipos usados. 
  4. Para evitar el exceso de empaque, compre alimentos básicos a granel y use sus propios recipientes de almacenamiento reutilizables (es decir, frascos de vidrio). 
  5. Utilice bolsas reutilizables para las compras; opte por bolsas de tela, ya que son resistentes y se pueden lavar.

Mercury in Fluorescent Lighting: Consumer Action

kristiet_a0o04rjz on December 1, 2021

Mercury in Fluorescent Lighting: Consumer Action

By Kathy Attar, Program Manager, Eco-Healthy Child Care®

December 2021

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin, yet is still used in all fluorescent lighting. There is no “safe” level of exposure to mercury. Switching to mercury-free LEDs in child care settings will reduce hazardous exposures, lower electricity bills, and protect the environment from harmful air pollutants.

The Clean Lighting Coalition, in partnership with the Mercury Policy Project and Responsible Purchasing Network, developed a new report, Mercury in Fluorescent Lighting: Unnecessary Health Risks & Actionable Solutions, highlighting the environmental and health risks posed when fluorescents break, especially to children. CEHN co-released the report which provides steps government officials, consumers, and child care providers can take to accelerate the transition to LED lighting.

Infants and young children are most vulnerable to the negative health effects of mercury because their brains are still developing. Reducing exposures is key to protecting their health. 

Mercury is a naturally occurring heavy metal that is released into the environment via industries such as mining, incineration, and coal-burning. These activities emit mercury into the air, some of which then settles into soils, streams, and oceans, where it is changed to methyl mercury. Once methyl mercury is in the water, it increases in concentration as it moves up the food chain, with higher levels in big, long-lived fish. Humans that eat these fish are then exposed to mercury. For further information about reducing mercury exposure in food read our EHCC mercury fact sheet.

Mercury is also released into the environment when mercury-containing items such as batteries, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and tubes, and mercury thermometers and thermostats break or are thrown away improperly.

Why switch to LEDs?

  • LEDs are more energy-efficient and do not contain hazardous mercury. LEDs are approximately 50% more energy-efficient and last 2-3 times longer than fluorescents and other traditional lighting products. 
  • They emit less mercury and other harmful air pollutants from coal-burning power plants because of their energy efficiency and lasting power.
  • Across the US, LEDs are widely available in supermarkets, hardware stores, retail and online shops. 
  • LEDs are a cost-effective alternative to fluorescent lighting.

The Mercury in Fluorescent Lighting report outlines actions consumers can take to reduce mercury exposure in lighting in homes and child care settings:

  1. Replace all fluorescent lighting equipment with LED lamps, retrofit kits, and luminaires.
  2. Replace incandescent and halogen lamps with LEDs to lower electricity bills and reduce emissions from power plants.
  3. Ensure that fluorescent lamps are disposed of properly.
  4. Advocate for federal, state, and local policies to phase out the manufacture and sale of fluorescent lamps in the United States –hastening the transition to LEDs.

Take our Protecting Children’s Environmental Health E-Course to learn more about reducing children’s unnecessary exposure to mercury, as well as other great tips for keeping children and child care staff safe from environmental hazards like pesticides and unsafe plastics in child care settings.

Mercurio en la iluminación fluorescente: acción del consumidor   

El mercurio es una neurotoxina potente, pero todavía se utiliza en todas las iluminaciones fluorescentes. No existe un nivel “seguro” de exposición al mercurio. Cambiar a LED sin mercurio en entornos de cuidado infantil reducirá las exposiciones peligrosas, reducirá las facturas de electricidad y protegerá el medio ambiente de los contaminantes nocivos del aire.

La Clean Lighting Coalition (Coalición de Iluminación Limpia), en asociación con el Mercury policy Project and Responsible Purchasing Network (Proyecto de Política de Mercurio y la Red de Compras Responsables), desarrolló un nuevo reporte, Mercury in Fluorescent Lighting: Unnecessary Health Risks & Actionable Solutions (Mercurio en la iluminación fluorescente: riesgos innecesarios para la salud y soluciones procesables), destacando la salud ambiental y los riesgos planteados cuando se rompen los fluorescentes, especialmente a los niños. CEHN co-publicó el informe que proporciona los pasos que los funcionarios gubernamentales, los consumidores y los proveedores de cuidado infantil pueden tomar para acelerar la transición a la iluminación LED.

Los bebés y los niños pequeños son los más vulnerables a los efectos negativos del mercurio en la salud porque sus cerebros aún se están desarrollando. Reducir las exposiciones es clave para proteger su salud. 

El mercurio es un metal pesado de origen natural que se libera al medio ambiente a través de industrias como la minería, la incineración y la quema de carbón. Estas actividades emiten mercurio al aire, parte del cual luego se deposita en suelos, arroyos y océanos, donde se transforma en metilmercurio. Una vez que el metilmercurio está en el agua, aumenta su concentración a medida que avanza en la cadena alimentaria, con niveles más altos en peces grandes y de larga vida. Los seres humanos que comen estos peces están expuestos al mercurio. Para obtener más información sobre cómo reducir la exposición al mercurio en los alimentos, lea nuestra hoja informativa sobre el mercurio. 

El mercurio también se libera en el medio ambiente cuando artículos que contienen mercurio, como baterías, bombillas y tubos fluorescentes compactos, y termómetros y termostatos de mercurio se rompen o se desechan de forma incorrecta.

¿Por qué cambiar a LED?

  • Los LED son más eficientes energéticamente y no contienen mercurio peligroso. Los LED son aproximadamente un 50% más eficientes energéticamente y duran entre 2 y 3 veces más que los fluorescentes y otros productos de iluminación tradicionales. 
  • Emiten menos mercurio y otros contaminantes atmosféricos nocivos de las centrales eléctricas que queman carbón debido a su eficiencia energética y su poder duradero.
  • En los EE. UU., los LED están ampliamente disponibles en supermercados, ferreterías, tiendas minoristas y en línea. 
  • Los LED son una alternativa rentable a la iluminación fluorescente.

El reporte Mercury in Fluorescent Lighting (el Mercurio en iluminación fluorescente) describe las acciones que los consumidores pueden tomar para reducir la exposición al mercurio en la iluminación de hogares y entornos de cuidado infantil:

  1. Reemplazar todos los equipos de iluminación fluorescente con lámparas LED, kits de actualización y luminarias.
  2. Reemplace las lámparas incandescentes y halógenas por LED para reducir las facturas de electricidad y reducir las emisiones de las plantas de energía.
  3. Asegúrese de que las lámparas fluorescentes se eliminen correctamente.
  4. Abogar por políticas federales, estatales y locales para eliminar gradualmente la fabricación y venta de lámparas fluorescentes en los Estados Unidos, acelerando la transición a los LED.

Tome nuestro curso electrónico Protección de la salud ambiental de los niños para obtener más información sobre cómo reducir la exposición innecesaria de los niños al mercurio, así como otros excelentes consejos para mantener a los niños y al personal de cuidado infantil a salvo de peligros ambientales como pesticidas y plásticos inseguros en los entornos de cuidado infantil.

New California Laws Make Food Packaging & Children’s Products Safer

kristiet_a0o04rjz on October 21, 2021

New California Laws Make Food Packaging & Children’s Products Safer

By Kathy Attar, Program Manager, Eco-Healthy Child Care®

November 2021

In October, California enacted several laws that will ban the use of toxic “forever chemicals” in children’s products and disposable food packaging. This is a win for the environment and children’s health!

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of toxic chemicals linked to kidney, liver, developmental, and reproductive issues. These chemicals contaminate waterways via firefighting foam and are primary ingredients in household products like nonstick pans, toys, makeup, fast-food containers, and waterproof apparel.

They are known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment and build up in the blood and organs.

Food is considered a major source of exposure to PFAS. Because PFAS coating on infant car seats and bedding wear off with time, the toxicants can get into dust that children might inhale, making contaminated children’s products another exposure avenue.

The California laws (AB 1200 and AB 652) ban PFAS from paper, paperboard (or plant-based food packaging), utensils, and paper straws, effective January 1, 2023. They also prohibit the use of PFAS in children’s products, such as car seats and cribs, beginning on July 1, 2023.

The laws require manufacturers to label cookware that contains toxic chemicals on product handles or coatings, starting January 1, 2024. And, beginning in 2023, manufacturers will also have to make public on their websites a list of harmful chemicals present in their pots, pans, and other cookware.

The California laws follow Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington in the list of states banning PFAS from food packaging.

To reduce your exposure to PFAS chemicals in food packaging immediately you can:

  • Avoid microwave popcorn and greasy foods wrapped in paper.
  • Take fast food out of its wrapper or containers as soon as possible.
  • Transfer food to glass, porcelain, or microwave-safe pottery plates before heating leftovers in the microwave.

For more Eco-Healthy Child Care® tips take our Protecting Children’s Environmental Health e-course. Child care professionals can receive adult learning clock hours for completing the course.

Las nuevas leyes de California hacen que el envasado de alimentos y los productos para niños sean más seguros

En octubre, California promulgó varias leyes que prohibirán el uso de “químicos permanentes” tóxicos en productos para niños y envases de alimentos desechables. ¡Esta es una victoria para el medio ambiente y la salud de los niños!

Las sustancias perfluoroalquilo y polifluoroalquilo (PFAS) son un grupo de sustancias químicas tóxicas relacionadas con problemas renales, hepáticos, de desarrollo y reproductivos. Estos productos químicos contaminan las vías fluviales a través de la espuma contra incendios y son ingredientes principales en productos domésticos como sartenes antiadherentes, juguetes, maquillaje, recipientes de comida rápida y ropa impermeable.

Se les conoce como “sustancias químicas permanentes” porque no se degradan en el medio ambiente ni se acumulan en la sangre y los órganos.

Los alimentos se consideran una fuente importante de exposición al PFAS. Debido a que el recubrimiento de PFAS en los asientos de automóvil para bebés y la ropa de cama se desgasta con el tiempo, los tóxicos pueden entrar en el polvo que los niños podrían inhalar, lo que hace que los productos para niños contaminados sean otra vía de exposición.

Las leyes de California (AB 1200 y AB 652) prohíben el PFAS en papel, cartón (o envases de alimentos a base de plantas), utensilios y pajitas de papel, a partir del 1 de enero de 2023. También prohíben el uso de PFAS en productos para infatiles, como asientos de automóvil y cunas, a partir del 1 de julio de 2023.

Las leyes requieren que los fabricantes etiqueten los utensilios de cocina que contienen químicos tóxicos en las manijas o revestimientos de los productos, a partir del 1 de enero de 2024. Y, a partir de 2023, los fabricantes también tendrán que hacer pública en sus sitios web una lista de productos químicos nocivos presentes en sus ollas, sartenes y otros utensilios de cocina.

Las leyes de California siguen a Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, Nueva York, Vermont y Washington en la lista de estados que prohíben los PFAS en el envasado de alimentos.

Para reducir su exposición a los productos químicos PFAS en los envases de alimentos inmediatamente, puede:

  • Evitar las palomitas de maíz para microondas y los alimentos grasosos envueltos en papel.
  • Saque la comida rápida de su envoltorio o envases lo antes posible.
  • Transfiera los alimentos a platos de vidrio, porcelana o cerámica aptos para microondas antes de calentar las sobras en el microondas.

Para más consejos de Eco-Healthy Child Care® tome nuestro curso electrónico Protección de la salud ambiental de los niños. Los profesionales del cuidado infantil pueden recibir horas de aprendizaje para adultos

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  • Phone: (202) 543-4033
  • Email: cehn@cehn.org

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