High Risk Population: Children and Adolescents
CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS ARE A HIGH RISK
Developmental stage: Children and youths are in a critical stage of development and that makes them more vulnerable to the negative impacts of exposure to toxic chemicals and pollutants. (F) MPs can contain Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs), which can interfere with early development (F, G) Early-life exposure to low levels of EDCs can result in developmental defects and long-term neurological consequences in offspring, along with behavioral, memory, learning, and neuro-degenerative issues later in life. Studies suggest EDCs exposure during puberty may predispose individuals to breast cancer later in life (G)
Higher intake of food and water per unit of body weight:Because children have higher intake of water and food per unit of body weight, they may have higher intake of MPs. (A,F)
Activity behavior: MPs can be found at beaches, parks and gyms, increasing risk of exposure in youth through inhalation or skin contact (A,E)
Lack of knowledge and awareness: Children and youths may not be aware of the risks associated with MP exposure, or may not be informed of how to reduce their exposure.
Early intervention: MPs can accumulate in the human body, causing various health effects, including growth and reproduction issues, oxidative stress, inflammation, and weakened immunity. (F, G) As youths and children have longer life expectancies than adults, early-life exposure to MPs may lead to long-term and chronic issues.
Eating and drinking habit: Youth are more likely to eat food or drink beverages that have been packaged in plastic products, increasing their exposure (A, E, F)
CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES ARE AT HIGHER RISK
Marginalized communities are often located near sources of plastic pollution, such as landfills, factories, and toxic waste sites. Food deserts in these communities may contributed to MP exposure,due to plastic packaging of food, single use plastic utensils and water bottles, that are easily accessible at convenience and fast-food stores. Marginalized communities, particularly those in urban areas, may be located in food deserts, which are areas without easy access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food. Children and their families who live in these communities are often reliant on convenience stores and fast -food restaurants, which package foods in plastics or use single use plastic utensils, bottles etc., increasing their exposure to MPs. Higher exposure to MPs in these communities can also be due to occupational disparities, working in factories, food industry, and environmental health. (G)
Citations:
A. Meeker John D., Sathyanarayaba Sheela and Swan Shanna H. 2009 Phthalates and other additives in plastics: human exposure and associated health outcomes. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B3642097–2113. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0268
E. Horvatits T, Tamminga M, Liu B, Sebode M, Carambia A, Fischer L, Püschel K, Huber S, Fischer EK. Microplastics detected in cirrhotic liver tissue. EBioMedicine. 2022 Aug;82:104147. doi:10.1016/j.ebiom. 2022.104147. Epub 2022 Jul 11. PMID: 35835713; PMCID: PMC9386716
F. Sripada K, Wierzbicka A, Abass K, Grimalt J. O., Erbe A, Rollin H. B., Weihe P, Diaz G J, Singh R R, Visnes T, Rautio A, Odland O, Wagner M. A Children’s Health Perspective on Nano and Microplastics. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2022 https://doi.org/101/1289/EHP9086
G. Binder AM, Corvalan C, Pereira A, Calafat AM, Ye X, Shepherd J, Michels KB. Prepubertal and Pubertal Endocrine-Disrupting Chemical Exposure and Breast Density among Chilean Adolescents. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2018 Dec;27(12):1491-1499. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-17-0813. Epub 2018 Aug 29. PMID: 30158279; PMCID: PMC6541222