Scientific Studies:
Assessing Environmental Exposure
Shendell and Pike-Paris, two researchers, recently discussed environmental exposure assessment. As more and more children develop asthma, autism, developmental disorders, and hyperactivity, it is becoming increasingly more important to address exposure assessment in children as these conditions have all been linked to environmental exposures. Chemical pollutants are encountered in the places where children eat, learn, play, and sleep.
Children exposed to the same amount of pollution as an adult are much more susceptible to negative effects due to their smaller body size and faster respiration rate. Growing adolescents also tend to consume more food and beverage than adults, therefore they are exposed to greater amounts of pesticides and other food contaminants.
Exposure reduction and preventive measure are crucial in this vulnerable population. Professionals in the fields of medicine, physiology, chemistry, toxicology, epidemiology, and risk assessment should be aware of these issues. It is important to note that children may have differential susceptibility dependent on their development stage.
There are two different kinds of information the researchers discussed: hazard data and source data. Hazard data refers to the amount of a pollutant released into the environment and to which a population is at risk of being exposed, including chemical agents, biological agents (pollen, bacteria, and mold), physical agents (noise, light, vibration, force, stress, and temperature), and radioactive agents (radon gas, electromagnetic fields, and nuclear waste products).
Source data of air pollutants includes point sources (individual industrial facilities, smoke stacks), area sources from a defined geographic area (petrochemical facility, architectural coatings composed of chemical-based solvents, consumer products, and agricultural pesticides), and mobile sources (moving vehicles).
By these lists alone it is easy to see that pollution is everywhere. Many studies have been aimed at individual sources of pollution; however, little evaluation has been done on the vast, multiple sources of pollution and the effect it has on the human population.
It is imperative to examine how exposure occurs and how the prevention or reduction of exposures can lead to community (public) health benefits.
Low or high concentrations of exposures do not always result in an adverse health outcomes. Health outcomes, whether acute or chronic, depend upon several factors: dose, quantity, and individual susceptibility. Individual susceptibility factors include gender, age, genetics, existing health conditions, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, and presence of allergy.
- There are several actions that Shendell and Pike-Paris recommend:
- Wok to reduce or prevent exposure by understanding, identifying, and mitigating sources of environmental pollution.
- Encourage pediatric nursing professionals to educate the public, patients, their families and caregivers.
- Act as informed advocates for policy change and regulatory monitoring and enforcement.
- Individuals can eliminate or substitute sources of pollution with non-toxic or less toxic alternatives to consumer products used for personal care, cleaning, hobbies, and pest control.
- Use non-toxic or least-toxic alternatives to the chemical pesticides normally used.
- Sources and exposure agents should be identified through a pediatric environmental history taking process.
- Promote primary prevention and precautionary actions.
- Limit exposure, dose, risk, and thus subsequent adverse acute and chronic health outcomes
Shendell and Pike-Paris expresdsed that protecting our children, the future generation, is essential. After all, the continued existence of the human race requires healthy children who can reproduce and live in a social environment.
-LS
Reference:
Shendell, DG, Pike-Paris, A. Environmental Exposure Assessment, Pollution Sources, and Exposure Agents: A Primer for Pediatric Nursing Professionals. Pediatr Nurs. 2007;33(2):179-182.
