Chemicals and Children’s Health: The Need for Action

Children today are exposed to a complex mixture of toxic chemicals through the air they breathe, the food they eat, the water they drink, and the products they use every day. From pesticides and plastics to industrial pollutants and household chemicals, these exposures pose significant threats to healthy growth and development. Because children’s bodies are still developing, they are uniquely vulnerable—absorbing more toxicants relative to their size, and experiencing effects that can last a lifetime.

Scientific evidence links toxic chemical exposures to a wide range of childhood health issues, including asthma, neurodevelopmental disorders, hormone disruption, early puberty, and increased risk of cancer. These harms not only affect children in the present but also increase their risks of chronic disease as adults. Despite decades of research, many harmful chemicals remain unregulated and widely used, leaving children and families without adequate protections.