Who is looking After Our Kid's?
CHAPTER 5
Volatile Organic Compounds: Contributory Causes of Learning Disabilities and Behavioral Problems in Children
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a very large class of commercial chemicals that tend to evaporate into and contaminate indoor air of buildings. They enter the human system not only by inhalation, but also through skin absorption.
From the standpoint of human health and welfare, VOCs all share one important characteristic they are all fat or lipid soluble, and therefore they have an affinity for the fatty or lipid tissues of the body. The brain is a prime target of the VOCs due to its high lipid content and rich blood supply.
Health problems from VOC exposures have largely taken place since World War II. Before World War II, US production of synthetic organic compounds totaled fewer than one billion pounds per year, but by 1976 production had soared to 163 billion pounds per year. (1)
About 70,000 chemicals are used in commerce, of which several hundred are known to be neurotoxic.
However, except for pharmaceuticals, less than 10% have had any testing at all for neurotoxicity, and only a handful of these have been evaluated thoroughly. (2)
The pervasiveness of these chemicals was reflected in a study that showed that 10 volatile chemicals were commonly found in indoor air, drinking water, and exhaled breaths of 400 residents of New Jersey, North Carolina, and North Dakota. (3)
Because the brain is the primary target of VOCs, symptoms are primarily cerebral in nature. Acute symptoms include dizziness, forgetfulness, headaches, mental fogginess, difficulty concentrating, and poor coordination. One of the centers investigating chronic effects of organic solvent exposures is at the University of Pittsburgh where Lisa Morrow, PhD and coworkers have published a series of studies on the effects of solvents on occupationally exposed subjects. (4-10) These findings included social alienation, poor concentration, anxiety, and impairments in learning and memory.
VOC exposure is taking a heavy toll among adults, but the effects may be even greater among our children. It has been estimated that children may be up to 10 times more vulnerable to chemical toxins than adults because of their rapidly growing tissues and organs and the relative immaturity of their detoxification systems. (11)
It is more than coincidental that the present epidemic of hyperactivity and behavioral problems among school children has coincided with steadily increasing levels of VOCs found in modern buildings. Standard neurotoxicology texts point out that behavioral problems may be the earliest sign of chemical toxicity.(12-13)
In an investigation of three sick building syndrome (SBS) outbreaks, which included two high schools, it was concluded that the chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is often associated with SBS.Chronic fatigue immune deficiency syndrome is a condition characterized by overwhelming fatigue, muscle aches, inability to concentrate and other symptoms affecting predominantly young adults. (14)
Respiratory and necrological symptoms often overlapped with CFS. Symptoms included headaches, fatigue, muscle pains, rhinitis, sinusitis, memory problems, fatigue, low-grade fevers, eye irritation and tearing, and light sensitivity. The authors suggest that the cause may be low levels of contaminants acting "in concert" or synergistically to produce overlapping syndromes. The study was sponsored by Georgetown University Medical Center and the National Institutes of Health. (14)
In the booklet, Environmental Hazards In Your Schools, published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), (15) it was pointed out that high energy costs encourage the development of tight buildings with poor ventilation. These conditions, combined with the proliferation of indoor contaminants- synthetic materials, cleaning agents, pesticides, printing and copying devices, combustion appliances, tobacco products, and other sources -reduce the quality of indoor air environments and consequently, the health of building occupants.
In the 1970s and 80s, EPA conducted studies which disclosed that important contaminants were often two to five times higher indoors than outdoors. Health problems from indoor air contamination may include fatigue, lethargy, difficulty with concentration, problems with recent memory, hyperactivity in children, and eye/ear/nose/throat irritations.
There is growing public concern about possible adverse effects of toxic environmental chemical exposures on human health, especially that of children. Irene Ruth Wilkenfeld, a retired school teacher with many years of teaching experience, has warned of a relationship between environmental chemicals and the increasing incidence of learning disabilities in children: (16)
Generations of reformers have tried to revitalize our educational system. To date, the outcome has been disappointing. I strongly believe that one key variable has been overlooked. Virtually no attention has been focused on the environmental school factors that may trigger hypersensitivity reactions and adversely impact a child's ability to learn.
Environmentalists, who have fought to protect nearly every species in the animal kingdom, have overlooked a prime endangered species our school-aged children. And until school-based environmental insults are substantially curtailed, our nation's youngsters will continue to fall short of our educational goals.
When parents are provided with instructions and guidelines, it is relatively easy and inexpensive to clean up the home environment and reduce chemical exposures in most instances . For children who are being made ill by chemical exposures, major obstacles to restoration of health often come from their attending schools where they are subjected to heavy chemical exposures.
Wilkenfeld, wrote further on the subject: (17)
The building and renovation boom in school systems across the country is backfiring in widespread outbreaks of building-associated illnesses, known as the sick school syndrome.
The construction and renovation process can involve significant environmental exposures. If materials are indiscriminately chosen or if the structure is haphazardly designed, the schoolhouse can become a long-term source of chemical contamination.
Indoor air quality in many modern, energy-efficient, "tight" schools is deplorable. Walking into the typical school today is like sealing your head in a ziplock plastic bag filled with noxious fumes. It's like swimming in a toxic terrarium filled with a chemical soup concocted with synthetic construction materials.
We've mistakenly assumed that carpeting, paints, adhesives, sealants, roofing materials and insulation are inert. That is not so. These synthetically derived products "outgas"- exude a host of volatile organic chemicals into the air. These subliminal stressors are capable of triggering a cascade of devastating symptoms that adversely affect health, mood and behavior, and are thereby capable of undermining academic performance and productivity. Not surprisingly, many chemically injured patients attribute the onset of their illness to renovation and/or construction at home, at school or in the work place.
The World Health Organization estimates that about 30 percent of US. schools have indoor air quality problems. This figure may be even higher for newly constructed or remodeled facilities.
This is especially significant when we realize the impact on young people. The health risks from air pollution are as much as six times greater for children than for adults, according to Robert Phalem, director of the University of California at Irvine Air Pollution Health Effects Laboratory.
There is mounting evidence that children exposed to classroom contaminants do not live up to their full academic potential.
VOCs can be assigned to three major categories: pesticides, solvents and other volatile chemicals, and formaldehyde.
Pesticides
In the 1960s and 70s, the use of chlorinated pesticides, such as DDT, Dieldrin, and Chlordane, was banned from use in the United States due to their persistence in the environment and the human body. Since that time, organophosphate pesticides have become the most commonly used class of pesticides in the United States.
The organophosphates are designed to poison the nervous systems of unwanted pests. They are related to the nerve gasses of chemical warfare.
Children may be subjected to continual or repeated exposures to organophosphate pesticides through pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables and through their use in or about school buildings and homes.
There are very good reasons for concern about repeated exposures of children to pesticides, even at low doses.
· Numerous epidemiologic studies of adults with occupational exposures to organophosphate pesticides have shown evidence of necrological damage manifested by subtle personality changes and learning disabilities. (18-29) These changes may take place in the absence of any signs of acute illness.
· It has been estimated that children may be up to 10 times more vulnerable to chemical toxicities than adults (11)
· Pesticides are lipid soluble, just like other VOCs. The brain is a primary target because of its rich blood supply and high proportion of lipids.
· Organophosphates may persist in indoor air up to 21 days following indoor application, according to William Forbes, Pest Control Manager of the Montgomery County, Maryland School District.
· The EPA has not required testing of pesticides for delayed neurotoxicity. (30)
· The present standard test for organophosphate toxicity (red blood cell cholinesterase) is relatively insensitive. In some instances necrological damage may take place without abnormalities in this test. (31- 32)
In closing this section on pesticides, a number of school districts throughout the country are adopting "Integrated Pest Management," which involves the control of pests without chemicals. These measures are proving to be effective, and less expensive than pesticides.
Organic Solvents and Other Volatile Chemicals:
As previously reviewed, organic solvents are lipidsoluble chemicals that have an affinity for the fatty tissues of the body. The most common symptoms from exposures are cerebral in nature and include dizziness, headaches, drowsiness, mental fogginess, inability to concentrate, memory lapses, irritability, anxiety, and mood changes. Chronic occupational exposures in adults are known to bring about memory and learning impairments and adverse personality changes .(4-10)
Common indoor sources of organic solvent exposure are paints, varnishes, waxes, sealants, glues, carpets, paint strippers, wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, cleaning solutions and disinfectants, air fresheners, personal cosmetics, and stored fuels. In schools, art classes and hobby shops may be sources of significant exposures. Leaky or poorly ventilated oil or gas heating units may result in petrochemical fumes in the air.
Although improvements are beginning to come about, many commercial carpets made from synthetic materials pose a special problem. A story is told about EPA headquarters in Washington DC. This building, completed a few years ago according to the most modern specifications, proved to be a major embarrassment to the EPA, especially considering that it is the primary responsibility of this agency to protect the public from harmful exposures. Soon after occupancy of the new building, a large proportion of employees became ill. The source of these illnesses proved to be the combination of a defective ventilation system and outgassing of toxic chemicals from new wall-to-wall carpets.
Synthetic carpets may be the source of a variety of outgassing chemicals including 4- phenylcyclohexane (4 PCH), formaldehyde, styrene, vinyl acetate, isooctane and styrene butadiene. (33)
Styrene butadiene, a byproduct from latex backing used in many carpets, has been found to cause a significant increase in malignant tumors in animals.
In an epidemiologic study of 8017 males with occupational exposures to butadiene involved in latex manufacture, it was found that there was increased incidence of Lymphatic cancers and leukemias. (34-35)
Formaldehyde:
In her doctoral thesis,"The Psychological and Educational Implications of Formaldehyde Toxicology," Joan Swanson stated, Formaldehyde exposure should be considered when teachers observe one or more of the following Marked increase in absenteeism, tiredness, changes in functioning levels, spotty learning, significant drop in grades, and emotional instability. (36)
Primary sources of airborne formaldehyde in buildings may include particle board subflooring and paneling, plywood paneling, urea formaldehyde foam insulation in older buildings (this form of insulation was phased out in the early 1980s), paints, waxes, glues, upholstery and drapery fabrics, cabinets and other classroom furniture made from particle board. It may also be present in newsprint, permanent pressed clothes, incomplete combustion of petrochemical fuels, cigarette smoke, and carbonless copying paper.
In addition to impairments of mental function, formaldehyde causes irritations of eyes, throat, and respiratory system. Concentrations above 0.5 to 1.0 ppm may be detected by odor. Concentrations above 0.3 ppm may cause increased airway resistance in breathing and therefore may aggravate asthma.
Conclusions:
Hyperactivity and behavioral problems are epidemic in today's schools. Irrational, wanton crime has become a leading social problem among juveniles in American cities.
Perhaps one of the most urgent questions confronting modern society is whether toxic chemical exposures are capable of bringing about these adverse personality and behavioral changes among our youngsters. If this is indeed the case, then reducing these toxic exposures should become of urgent importance, second to none.
The following anecdotal report vividly exemplifies the potential of toxic chemicals to bring about Jekyll/Hyde personality changes. Although somewhat comical in itself, it carries serious overtones for modern society.
As reported in Psychosomatics, (37) a professor of medicine at a New England university applied a tick powder daily to his male cat during a summer month. Within 10 days after starting the applications, large numbers of dead or injured mice and birds were noted on the front lawn. The cat brought additional birds and mice into the house where he frequently attacked them with claws and teeth. Such behavior by a previously docile cat bewildered the professor and caused him to remark, "my cat has become a murderer."
There were at the same time personality changes in the professor. Although he wore gloves during applications of the tick powder, he would often breathe the dust as it escaped into the air. The professor's housemate became alarmed by the increasing aggressiveness and 'continual rage" of the professor. Because of distinct fear of physical attack by the professor, the companion left the premises. It was at this point that the professor and his companion independently realized that the tick powder could have been the cause of these changes, and its use was terminated. Within one week aggressive behavior ceased in both cat and man.
References
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Valuable Sources of Information
Berthold-Bond A. Clean ~ Green. Woodstock, NY:Ceres Press; 1990.
Bower J. The Healthy House - How to Buy One.-.How to Cure a "Sick" One.-.How to Build One. Secaucus, NJ :Lyle Stuart;1989 Common-Sense Pest Control. Available from the Bio-lntegral Resource Center, P.O. Box 7414, Berkeley, CA 94707, (510) 524-2567, 1991.
Dadd . The Nontoxic Home Office. New York:G.P. Putman's Sons; 1992.
Dadd . Nontoxic, Natural, and Earthwise. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Thatcher; 1990.
Dadd . The Nontoxic Home. Los Angeles:Thatcher Inc., distributed by St. Martin's Press, New York, 1986.
Dadd . Nontoxic Natural. Los Angeles:Thatcher; 1984.
Environmental Hazards in Your School: A Resource Hand600k. Washington, DC:United States Environmental Protection Agency; 1990. Publication #201 -2001.
Gorman CP. Less-Toxic Living. Environmental Health Centen 8345 Walnut Hill Lane, Suite 205, Dallas, Texas 75231, (214) 368-4132.
Health House Catalog. Cleveland, OH:Environmental Health Watch and the Housing Resource Center; 1990.
The Inside Story.-.A Guide to Indoor Air Quality. Washington, DC:United States Environmental Protection Agency; 1988: EPA/400/1-88/004.
Lawson L. Staying Well in a Toxic World. Chicago; Noble Press: 1993: (Note: If we were limited to a single choice encompassing the field of environmental hazards with guidelines for their avoidance, this book would be our choice.)
Miller NL, ed. The Healthy School Hand600k. Washington, DC:National Education Association; 1995: (Order from: NEA Professional Library, PO Box 509, West Haven, CT 06516, $ 15.95. )
Rousseau D, Rea W. Your Home, Your Health, and Well-Being. Cleveland, OH:Environmental Health Watch; 1989: The Healthy House Institute Headed by John Bower, author of The Healthy House listed above and an expert in safe building materials and procedures, ogers valuable monographs and consultations in building problems. The address is 7471 N. Shiloh Rd., Unionville, IN 47468, (812)-332-5073.