| Water Contaminants – In the Bathtub & About Children |
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Water Contaminants – In the Bathtub & About Children • The municipal water that your child drinks, bathes and plays in is a complex chemical mixture of dissolved minerals, contaminants and chemical additives. • The skin is the largest organ of the body. • The EPA has concluded that the average person can absorb more contaminants from bathing and showering than from drinking polluted water. • Circulatory flow rates are generally higher in children, which may increase a child’s susceptibility to toxic effects. • Despite these elevated risks, most toxicological data is based on occupational exposures for adults. • The Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN) reports that the US has seen “a worrisome increase” in childhood diseases that may be linked to chemicals in the environment. • According to the CEHN, “The incidence of two types of childhood cancers has risen significantly over the past 15 years. • Acute lymphocytic leukemia is up 10% and brain tumors are up more than 30%. • Learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders also appear to be increasing. • Depending on whether a child has eaten or if there is residual food in the stomach, about 20-25% of chemical contaminants are metabolized when foods or beverages are consumed. • With dermal (skin) exposure and inhalation, however, virtually 100% of the contaminants are absorbed directly into the bloodstream. • As one EPA scientist put it, “a shower cubicle can be considered an ‘exposure chamber’ . • Exposure to volatile contaminants absorbed via the lungs would be about double the same amount from drinking water. • In the bath, underarms, scrotal and vaginal areas as well as the groin absorb far greater amounts than in the normal unwashed forearm test. |