Chemical and product safety standards and laws need to include safety and health of bystanders and children
Research
studies report on the effect on adult health from endocrine-disrupting
chemicals in food, water, soil, and the air. Exposure levels to harmful chemicals may
be deemed "safe" by government standards, but safety standards are only
set for a healthy, mature, adult MALE worker. Users of harmful products
and chemicals, including children, are not considered in any safety standard set by industry
or set by countries.
Similar to medication dosages, levels of exposure to
harmful chemicals that are deemed "safe" for a healthy, mature, adult,
male worker can kill or severely injure an unborn fetus, infant, or
child.
The US EPA and CDC acknowledged that children are more vulnerable to harm from dangerous chemicals and environments. The bodies, organs, and reproductive systems of children are still developing. Children contact, drink, eat, and breathe more harmful chemicals and environment per body weight than adults and therefore the harmful effects on health are multiplied.
It is time to change our safety standards and protocol
for government allowances for harmful environments and chemicals. The
effect of chemicals and products needs to be extended to include the
health and safety of all persons or wildlife impacted in the chemical/
product manufacture, storage, transportation, on-site storage,
application, on-site off-gassing or by-products, removal, and waste
collection and storage.
Decision makers and law makers should
be required to attend workshops and test for competency on the effect of
harmful chemicals and environments on child (and adult) health.
Without competency status, no decision or law makers should be allowed
to vote or decide policy that allow for these chemicals to be used and
released in substances or environments that could harm the health of a
child or adult.
"There is
now 'emerging evidence for adverse reproductive outcomes' and 'mounting
evidence' for effects on thyroids, brains and metabolism, the report
summary says." Read more: http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2013/who-report
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