California Children and Potential Exposure Risks to Environmental Toxins

A few months ago, there was an article in the Valencia County News-Bulletin about some of the toxins that children in California may be exposed to from their environment. “Poisoning our children is cause for alarm” discusses children’s health and exposure to toxic chemicals in the air, water, food and soil. Specifically mentioned were exposure concerns related to Bisphenol A (BPA), pesticides, lead, arsenic, mercury and particulate matter.

BPA is a chemical that has been shown to affect the reproductive systems of laboratory animals.  In 2015, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) added BPA to the list of chemicals known to the State of California to cause reproductive toxicity for purposes of the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Prop 65).

Pesticides are any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest. Most pesticides are composed of both active ingredients, those that kill the intended pest, and inert ingredients that act as carriers, surfactants, solvents and binding agents. These inert compounds may have properties that make them as toxic as the active ingredient. 

For most children, exposure to lead in the home from the past use of lead-based paints is their most common exposure route to this toxic heavy metal. Lead can also be a concern if it leaches into drinking water from lead pipes or plumbing fixtures that contain it.

Exposure to arsenic can occur through tainted air, water and food. For most people, exposure to higher-than-average levels of arsenic occurs mainly in the workplace, near hazardous waste sites and areas with high levels naturally occurring in soil, rocks and water. Arsenic can also enter drinking water supplies from natural deposits in the earth or from agricultural and industrial practices. 

Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is found in air, water and soil. It exists in several forms, including elemental or metallic mercury, inorganic mercury compounds, and organic mercury compounds.  In 1990, mercury and mercury compounds were added to the Prop 65 list.

The air quality that children are exposed to can have a direct impact on their health and one specific area of concern is exposure to particulate matter also referred to as PM. This is the name for a wide range of particles that are small enough to be carried by the air and be inhaled by people as a solid or liquid, or even a mixture of both.

“Regardless of whether it is concerns associated with PM, lead, arsenic, pesticides, mercury, BPA or other environmental hazards, protecting children from needless exposure risks is critically important,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager at LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “To help in these efforts, LA Testing offers analytical services, sampling supplies and even easy-to-use test kits for these and other environmental exposure concerns to help safeguard California’s youth.”

To learn more about these and other environmental testing services, please visit www.LATesting.com, email  info@LATesting.com  or call (800) 755-1794. For access to indoor environmental quality (IEQ) test kits, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com.

About LA Testing

LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals.  In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, CDC Elite, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states.  LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro and San Diego.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

LA Testing

(1) 856-303-2503

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