Canadian study: Polluted Children, A Toxic Nation

Polluted Children, Toxic Nation is the first Canadian study to test for harmful chemicals in children’s bodies, and the results show that Canadians young and old are polluted regardless of where they live, work, play or go to school. For the study, Environmental Defence tested children and parents from five Canadian families for 68 chemicals, such as pesticides, PCBs, stain repellants, flame retardants, mercury and lead. Many of the chemicals discovered in the families are associated with cancer, hormone disruption, reproductive disorders, damage to the nervous system, respiratory illnesses and harming the development of children. In some cases, the children in the study had higher levels of certain chemicals than their parents.

Polluted Children, Toxic Nation calls on the federal government to acknowledge this evidence of human contamination by strengthening the regulation of toxic chemicals during the Review of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA).

  Polluted Children, Toxic Nation: A Report on Pollution in Canadian Families (2006). For more information, please visit www.environmentaldefence.ca or download the full report in English or French .