CHANGE members at the Reproductive Health and the Environment Conference, 2018
Women are unknowingly exposed to hazardous chemicals on a daily basis.Women serve as markers for environmental pollution through reduced fertility, irregular fetal development, and increased rates of cancers, among other illnesses.
Children are particularly vulnerable to all toxic chemical exposures because their organs, nervous systems, and immune systems are still developing, and their higher rates of cell division and lower body weight also increase their susceptibility to chemical exposure.
Studies demonstrate that even low blood-lead levels in children are harmful and have long-term health impacts, such as lowered IQ, shortened attention span, decreased coordination, learning disabilities, and neurological development problems.
Chemical pesticides can cause immediate poisonings that result in stinging eyes, rashes, blisters, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, vomiting and even deaths for tenants. Over the long-term, exposure to pesticides has been linked to cancers, birth defects, reproductive and developmental harm, damage to brain function, and disruption of the body’s hormone system – health impacts that can occur months or years after exposure.
More than 134 million Americans live in the danger zones surrounding 3,433 facilities in several industries that store or use highly hazardous chemicals.
People are exposed to toxic chemicals from everyday products. A report by the Environmental Working Group revealed that 1 in every 100 personal care products on the market contains known carcinogens