David C. Bellinger, PhD, MSc gave a presentation at the 13th International Symposium of the Institute for Functional Medicine recently. He is a professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and senior research associate in Neurology at Children’s Hospital in Boston.
He reported that over the past 40 years, concern has grown that some of the 80,000 chemicals used commercially could be exerting adverse effects on children’s health. The potential exists for developmental exposure of children to this myriad of chemicals that the EPA estimates is approaching 2.5 billion pounds of chemicals emitted yearly by large industrial facilities. The EPA maintains the Integrated Risk Information system (IRIS) which only lists 550 chemicals. For most of these chemicals, the available data only pertains to occupational exposure and not the potential effects of these chemicals to a child’s developing brain.
At present, for many of these chemicals, there is little to no data on the potential for harm for developmental exposure of children to the myriad of chemicals, many of which are known to be neurotoxic. In the real world, children are not exposed to a single chemical at a time but to complex mixtures of chemicals and we have only minimal understanding of the way in which exposure might interact with one another.
Effective medical/environmental treatments for the adverse effects associated with chemical exposures are largely unknown, rendering primary prevention of exposure the most effective strategy for protecting children.
Forbes created a list of the toxic chemicals that another Harvard study had warned us about in 2014. They listed the top 10 common toxins that are causing ADHD and autism and where to find these toxins in order to avoid exposure to them.
1.) Lead – found in post-1978 paint in the US, many children’s toys, drinking water, plumbing pipes soldered with lead.
Signs and symptoms include low IQ, behavioral/attention/hearing problems, kidney damage, delayed growth, aggressive behavior, difficulty sleeping, headaches, irritability and other developmental defects.
2.) Methyl mercury – found in fish (high levels in shark, tile fish, king mackerel, and sword fish), vaccines, coal-fired plants and a byproduct of mercury in the gut.
Signs and symptoms include growth disturbances, movement and coordination disorders, low IQ, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism, Alzheimer’s, kidney disease, MS, Parkinson’s and other psychological conditions.
3.) Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) – found in foods, particularly fish, breast milk air, water and the soil.
Signs and symptoms include interference in hormone cycles, breast, uterine, and cervical cancers, serious sexual, physical, and developmental problems.
4.) Arsenic – found in drinking water, wood preservatives, drug and body products, and in agricultural applications.
Signs and symptoms include kidney and heart problems, neurotoxicity, liver damage, cancer and death.
5.) Toluene – found in solvents, indoor air, paint and household products, cigarette smoke, glues, and automobile emissions.
Signs and symptoms include brain development problems, attention deficit in children, brain and spiral cord damage.
6.) Manganese – found in drinking water, steel plants, and automobile exhaust.
Signs and symptoms include lower scores in math, diminished brain function, ADHD, damaged sperm, learning and memorization difficulty.
7.) Fluoride – found in water, food, and most commercial dental products.
Signs and symptoms include 7 points lower in IQ, brain damage, cancer, autism spectrum disorder, bone and hip fractures, and accelerated aging.
8.) Chlorpyrifos and DDT (pesticides) – found in insecticides and herbicides, fruits and vegetables.
Signs and symptoms include abnormal brain and nerve development, Alzheimer’s, mental retardation ADHD, and learning disabilities.
9.) Tetrachloroethylene – found in solvents, dry-cleaning, professional roles like nurses, chemists, cleaners, hairdressers and beauticians, and the soil.
Signs and symptoms include hyperactivity and aggressive behavior, psychiatric disorders and cancer
10.) Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDEs) – found in flame retardants.
Signs and symptoms include neurodevelopmental disorders in children, low cognitive skills and delayed development.
We all can not avoid all of the 80,000 chemicals we are exposed to in our life but these are the 10 toxins that you should first concentrate on avoiding exposure to you and your children.
Your house should have air and water filters, and clean and natural food and drinks. Live as clean and natural as possible, detoxing the body periodically will help to reduce your lifetime exposure.
Prayer and spiritual protection for you, your children and your home is always helpful.
To your Optimal Health and Vitality with a Beautiful Smile.
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