Brain disorders in kids may be linked to industrial chemicals

Brain disorders in kids may be the result of direct exposure to industrial chemicals, a recent study found.

Dr. Philip Landrigan and Dr. Philippe Grandjean have been working for the past 30 years to link cognitive disorders, such as autism and dyslexia, to exposure to dangerous chemicals.

In 2006, they were able to determine five chemicals - methyl mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's), arsenic, toluene and lead - that were all dangerous to children's brain development.

"Our very great concern is that children worldwide are being exposed to unrecognized toxin chemicals that are silently eroding intelligence, disrupting behaviors, truncating future achievements and damaging societies," the scientists said in a review published in the Lancet Neurology.

Grandjean explains that developing brains in the womb and throughout childhood are much more susceptible to harmful toxins than those of adults. Therefore, he and his co-study author are calling for global restrictions on the use of industrial chemicals to protect children from what they call "a global, silent pandemic." The authors are also pushing for the creation of an international clearing house that would coordinate testing of all existing and new compounds.

Evdokia Anagostou, a clinician scientist at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Center in Toronto, explains that there is currently little scientific evidence linking industrial chemicals to specific disorders like autism.

"This is not about avoiding a specific disorder. This is about promoting brain health," Anagostou said.

Anagostou is also a principal investigator with the Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Disorders Network.