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Health & the Environment - FAQs:
The 12th Report on Carcinogens was released on June 10, 2011. (Press Release)
The Report on Carcinogens (RoC) is a congressionally mandated, science-based, public health document that is prepared for the HHS Secretary by the National Toxicology Program.
The report identifies agents, substances, mixtures, and exposure circumstances that are known or reasonably anticipated to cause cancer in humans.
It can be found at: http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/roc12
Should the climate change temperatures, sea level, and precipitation, then the potential for impacts on human health exists. Among the changes with possible effects on humans are:
- heat related illnesses
- storms and flooding injuries
- spread of infectious diseases
- increased air pollutants causing respiratory diseases
- decreased food supply and malnutrition
Learn More from the NIH National Library of Medicine:
Proportional to body weight, children eat, breathe, and drink more than adults. So they take in higher concentrations of the toxins in our environment. As children's bodies develop, especially in the womb and newborns, they are vulnerable to damage from toxic substances.
For example, a small amount of certain pesticides during a critical time in a child's development could impact brain and body function, causing ADHD, reproductive health problems, as well as other problems. Some toxins, like mercury, can build up in body fat and be passed from mother to child during pregnancy or after birth through breast milk.
Learn More:
- Air Pollution and Lung Development in Children (NIH/NIEHS)
- Environment and the Developing Brain (NIH/NIEHS) (PDF - 2 pages)
- Children's Environmental Health & Disease Prevention Research Centers (NIH/NIEHS)
- Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CDC)
- Mother's Exposure to Urban Pollutants Affects Children's Cognitive Abilities (NIH/NIEHS)
- Phthalate Exposure Alters Children's Behavior and Cognitive Function (NIH/NIEHS)
Information from Other Federal Agencies:
- Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control (US Department of Housing & Urban Development)
- Protecting Our Children (US Environmental Protection Agency)
- America's Children & the Environment (US Environmental Protection Agency)
Smoke is made up of a complex mixture of gases and fine particles produced when wood, organic, and man-made matter burn. The biggest health threat from smoke comes from fine particles. These microscopic particles can get into your eyes and respiratory system, where they can cause health problems. Smoke can irritate the eyes and airways, causing coughing, a scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, headaches, stinging eyes or a runny nose.
If you have heart or lung disease, smoke might make your symptoms worse. People with heart disease might experience:
- chest pain,
- palpitations,
- shortness of breath, or
- fatigue.
People with lung disease may not be able to breathe as deeply or as vigorously as usual, and they may experience symptoms such as:
- coughing,
- phlegm,
- chest discomfort,
- wheezing, and
- shortness of breath.
Children also are more susceptible to smoke for several reasons: their respiratory systems are still developing; they breathe more air (and air pollution) per pound of body weight than adults; and they're more likely to be active outdoors.
When smoke levels are high enough, even healthy people may experience some of these symptoms. Common health effects, such as minor irritation, may not require a visit to your doctor. But, you should seek medical attention immediately if you experience more serious symptoms like those listed above.
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There is some potential for developing dental fluorosis when young children consume fluoride during the time when teeth are forming under the gums (birth through age 8). To help prevent both tooth decay and dental fluorosis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following:
For parents: Children younger than 6 years have a poor swallowing reflex and tend to swallow much of the toothpaste on their brush. Toothpaste that is swallowed (but not toothpaste that is spit out) contributes to a child’s total fluoride intake. Therefore:
As soon as the first tooth appears, begin cleaning by brushing without toothpaste with a small, soft-bristled toothbrush and plain water after each feeding. Begin using toothpaste with fluoride when the child is 2 years old. Use toothpaste with fluoride earlier if your child’s doctor or dentist recommends it.
- Do not brush your child’s teeth more than 2 times a day with a fluoride toothpaste,
- Apply no more than a pea-sized amount of toothpaste to the toothbrush, and
- Supervise your child’s tooth brushing, encouraging the child to spit out toothpaste rather than swallow it. Additional information is available on-line: http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/publications/factsheets/brushup.htm
- If your child’s pediatrician or dentist prescribes a fluoride supplement (or vitamin supplement that contains fluoride), ask him or her about any risk factors your child has for decay and the potential for dental fluorosis. If you live in an area with fluoridated water, fluoride supplements are not recommended.
- You can use fluoridated water for preparing infant formula. However, if your baby is exclusively consuming infant formula reconstituted with fluoridated water, there is an increased potential for mild dental fluorosis. Additional information can be found in a CDC fact sheet on infant formula: http://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/safety/infant_formula.htm
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Dental fluorosis is a change in the appearance of the tooth’s enamel. It can result when children regularly consume higher-than-recommended amounts of fluoride during the teeth forming years, age 8 and younger.
Most dental fluorosis in the U.S. – about 92 percent – is very mild to mild, appearing as white spots on the tooth surface that in many cases only a dental professional would notice. Moderate and severe forms of dental fluorosis, which are less common, cause more extensive enamel changes. In the rare, severe form, pits may form in the teeth. The severe form rarely occurs in communities where the level of fluoride in water is less than 2 milligrams per liter.
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Talk with your dentist about the best use of fluoride to prevent tooth decay. In adults in the U.S., there is little concern about unwanted health effects even from the combined level of fluoride from all sources. Fluoride toothpaste is effective for preventing tooth decay and does not contribute to fluorosis unless it is swallowed.
Fluoride toothpaste is effective for preventing tooth decay and does not contribute to fluorosis unless it is swallowed.
Water fluoridation is beneficial for reducing and controlling tooth decay and promoting oral health in children and adults. You can check with your local water supplier to see how much fluoride is in your drinking water. Consumers served by private wells may want to have their water tested by a state certified laboratory. You can find one by contacting your state water certification officer. Contact information for your state can be found at http://water.epa.gov/scitech/drinkingwater/labcert/
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