Environmental Pollution and Recent Data on Asian Children’s Health in Relation to Pre- and Early Post-natal Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants, Including PCBs, PCDD/PCDFs, and Organochlorine Pesticides

Abstract

Chemical compounds containing persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been banned or restricted from production and use since the 1970s, and in more recent times by the Stockholm Convention. This is because past incidence of poisonings from accidental exposure to high levels of POPs, as well as findings from animal experiments, has led to serious health concerns. POPs have lipophilicity and long half-life in the human body, and contain potential endocrine disruptors, including polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and organochlorine pesticides. Even today, POPs continue to exist and bio-accumulate in the environment, the food chain, and the human body because these chemicals resist biodegradation. POPs have been widely detected in soil, wild animals, and bodies of human beings living throughout the world. Recent studies report that environmental pollution from electronic-waste processing in certain areas of Asian countries may be associated with impaired health in children. In addition, even adults who live in non-industrial areas and have no history of accidental poisoning have been chronically exposed to low levels of POPs in their daily life through food consumption, use of products that contain POPs, and absorption from the surrounding environment. In particular, the fetal development and early post-natal periods may be critical windows when individuals are most susceptible to the toxic effects of POPs. Many studies that include data from incidents of acute exposure to high levels of POPs in humans have been reported; however, limited information is available on exposure to low levels of POPs in the general population. It is especially necessary to clarify long-term effects of chronic exposure to low levels of POPs among vulnerable populations that include developing fetuses, infants, and children, through well-designed human epidemiological studies. This chapter describes the effects of prenatal and early post-natal exposure to low levels of POPs on children’s health in general populations, focusing on Asian countries, where different exposure profiles and lifestyle factors exist compared to Western countries and other parts of the world.