Battelle Studies Preschool Children's Exposure to Pollutants
The possible risk to young children from environmental pollutants is two-fold: their diets and activities may mean greater exposure than older individuals; and there is concern that they may be more sensitive to the toxic effects of some chemicals. These chemicals can be found nearly everywhere, from air to food to toys. Exposures at very low levels to some pollutants may be significant to a child’s health, but little is known about many aspects of childhood exposure.
The study involves roughly 260 children between the ages of 18 months and five years, split between children who attend day care regularly and those that stay at home with a parent or caregiver. Families provide samples of foods and beverages consumed by their child and adult caregiver during a two-day period. Samples are collected of indoor and outdoor air, urine and hand wipes, and dust and play area soil. The sampling and analytical results will be combined with information from an activity diary and other observational information to estimate the child’s aggregate exposures. This will allow researchers to identify the important media and pathways, to relate exposures to activities, and to identify future research needs. The CTEPP field work began last summer in four North Carolina counties. This year, work will continue in two North Carolina counties before moving into six Ohio counties. Although study participants are selected at random, the small size of the study means CTEPP can only be considered a pilot study. Therefore, the results cannot be generalized to the population as a whole. Battelle’s CTEPP study has been endorsed by the National Head Start Association, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Division of Child Development and several local child service agencies in North Carolina and Ohio. For more information, please contact Nancy K. Wilson at (919) 544-3717, wilsonk@battelle.org or Jane Chen Chuang at (614) 424-5222, chuangj@battelle.org. 
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In 1996, Congress directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to give special attention to the protection of children from environmental health risks. With passage of the Food Quality Protection Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, Congress acknowledged concerns about young children’s exposure to pesticides and other chemicals. To help scientists better understand these concerns, Battelle is conducting a research study under the auspices of the EPA’s National
Exposure Research Laboratory.
Battelle’s Children’s Exposure to Persistent Pesticides and Other Persistent Organic Pollutants (CTEPP) study measures children’s total exposures through all relevant environmental media and exposure pathways. It considers cumulative exposures, where several pollutants may have a common mechanism or health effect. The information provided by the study can be used with other health effects and exposure data to improve the science basis of risk assessment for young children.