DOCUMENT RESUME ED 336 178 PS 019 536 TITLE Environmental Toxins and Children: Exploringthe Risks, Part II. Hearing held inWashington, DC before the Select Committee on Children, Youth,and Families. House of Representatives, OneHundred First Congress, Second Session. INSTITUTION Congress of the U.S., Washington,DC. House Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families. PUB DATE 13 Sep 90 NOTE 217p.; For part I, hearing held in Oakland, California, see PS 019 535. Portionscontain small print. AVAILABLE FROM Superintendent of Documents, CongressionalSales Office, U.S. Government Printing Office,7ashington, DC 20402 (Stock No. 052-070-06722-5,$6.50). PUB TYPE Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials (090) EDRS PRICE MFOI/PC09 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Cancer; *Child Health; Child Labor;=Children; Child Welfare; Congenital Impairments;Developmental Disabilities; *Environmental Influences; Environmental Standards; *Lead Poisoning;Migrant Workers; *Pesticides; *Poisons; PublicHealth IDENTIFIERS Child Safety; *Risk Assessment ABSTRACT This report contains the proceedingsof the second of two hearings that explored therisks of environmental toxins to children. Testimony was heard concerning:(1) the special vulnerability of chilaren to toxic substances;(2) exposure to lead and lead poisoning; and (3) the exposureof working children to toxins. A fact sheet gives an overviewof the dangers to children of various toxins. Seven statements weredelivered in person and 13 prepared statements or materials supplementalto verbal testimony were collected. Copies of variousrelevant documents are appended. These include: a meta-analysis of studies onlow-level lead exposure and its effect on the IQ of children; astudy of the prevalence and hazards of child labor; a statemert onmigrant farmworkers' childrens, exposure to pesticides by theFarmworker Justice Fund; a statement on environmental hazards during pregnancyby the March of Dimes; and a review of pertinentliterature by the National Network To Prevent Birth Defects. (BC) *********************Ax************************************************ Reproductions supplied ty EDRS are the best that canbe made from the original document. *************t*********** ********** ************************************ ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS AND CHILDREN: EXPLORING THE RISKS, PART II U & DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Ot*ce ot Ectucatonst Resserch and Improvement EDUCA TIONALRE SOURCES INFORMATION CENTER tERIC1 Then document nes Deen reproduced as )(tsce.ed tram the Dawson otowner.*** ne4enatent. riWoof changes have teenmacketo mprOve ,e0roduct*On duaidv HEARING Pconts ot opintonts stated as Mot MX Li maim do not n*Cessantr .etvesers!0tt.r41 BEFORE THE OE Rt posdson ur SELECT COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FIRST CONGRESS SECT/ND SleSSION HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC. SEPTEMBER IS, 1990 Printed for of the Select Committee on Children. Youth, and Families 0 sfl} * U.8GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE :16-3146 WASHINGTON :1991 Ft's sett ht the. Supvtuttundent ssI tocuments rongn isits:d Satker e- t S nnu.sst-rsotsng (Mks.. Waaehtngton.- DitZtlittl! - BEST COPYAVAILABLE SFi,ECT COMMIn LE ON CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES GEORGE MILLER.California. Chairman WILLIAM LEHMAN, Florida THOMAS J. BLILEY, JR.. Virginia PATRI( LA SCHROEDER, Colorado FRANK R. WOLF, Virginia LINDY 'MRS. HALE) BOGGS. Louisiana BARBARA F. VUCANOVICH. Nevada mArnicw F. McHUGH, Nevi York RON PACKARD, California TED WIaSS, New York J. DENNIS HASTERT, Illinois BERYL ANTHONY, Ja., Arkansas CLYDE C. HOLLOWAY, Louisiana BARBARA BOXER, California CURT WELDON. Pennsylvania SANDER M. LEVIN, Michigan LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas BRUCE A. MORRISON, Connecticut PETER SMITH. Vermont J. ROY ROWLAND, Georgia JAMES T. WALSH, New York GERRY SIRORSKL Minnesota RONALD K. MACHTLEY. Rhode Island ALAN WHEAT, Missouri TOMMY F. ROBINSON, Arkansas MATINEW G. MARTINEZ. California LANE EVANS, Illinois RICHARD J. DURBIN. Illinois DAVID E. SKAGGS, Colorado BILL SARPALIUS. Texas COMMIT= STAFF KARABELLE Przziosr. Staff Director hu. KAGAN, Deputy Staff Director DRumui G TH. Mitwrity Staff Director CARDr. M STATISM, Minanty Deputy Staff Threeof CONTENTS pase Hearing held in Washington, DC, September 13, 1990. 1 Statement of: Feldman, Jay, National Coordinator, National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides, Washit gton, DC 100 Greenspan, Nancy, parent, Bethmda. MD 26 Needleman, Heert L, M.D., professor of psychiatry and pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh-School of Medicine; chairman of the Alliance to End Childhood Lead Poisoning, Pittsburgh, PA 46 Pollack, Susan H., M.D., instructor, community medicine and pediatrics Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York, New York 141 Schaefer, Mark E, Ph.D., Project Director, Office of Technology Assess- ment IOTA), U.S. Camgress; accompanied by Roger Herciman, M.D., Assistant Director, Office of Technology Assessment. U.S. Congress 34 Wilkinson, Chris F., Ph.D., managing toxicologist, RiakFocus, Verger Inc 91 Wilson, Richard. Mallinckrodt professor of physics, Harvard Univereity Cambridge, MA 514 Prepared statements, letters, supplemental materials, et cetera: Bliley, Congressman Thomas J., Jr., a Representative in Congress from the State of Virginia. and ranking Republican Member: "Environmental Toxins and Children. Exploring the Risks" (Republi- can fact sheet) 9 Opening statement of 7 Feldman, Jay. National Coordinator, National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides. Washington, DC, prepared statement of 103 Greenspan. Nancy, parent. Bethesda. MD. prepared statement of Jonsson. Erik. National Coordinator. National Network To Prevent Birth Defects. Washington, DC: Additional Information on Risks to Children from Toxics tappendix1 1145 Letter to Chairman George Miller. dated September IS. 1990 175 Prepared statement of 176 Jukes, Thomas H., comment of 211 Miller, Congressman George, a Representative in ConFess from the State of California, and chairman. Select Committee on Children. Youth, and Families: "Environmental Toxins and Children: Exploring the Risks" la fact sheet) Letter to Susan Pollack. M D., dated October 3, 1990 21:1 Opening statement of 2 March of Dimes, prepared statement of 171 Needleman, Herbert L. M.D., professor of psychiatry and pediatrics. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, chairman, the A hence To End Childhood Lead Poisoning. Pittsburgh, PA: "Low-Level Lead Exposure and the IQ of Children." a meta-analysis of modern studies, article entitled 136 Prepared statement of 49 "The Long-Term Effects of Exposure to Low Doses of Lead in Child. hood," article entitled 142 Pollack, Susan H., M.D., instructor, community medicine and pediatrics Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York and Philip J. Landrigan, M.D.. M.Sc., D.1 H.. chairman, department of community medicine, and professor, department of pediatrics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York, New York, NY: IV Prepared statements, letters, supplemental materials, et ceteraContinued Page "Child Labor in 1994 Prevalence and Health Hazards." article enti- tled 148 Prepared statement of 85 Schaefer, Mark E., PhD., Project Director, Office of Technology Assess- ment,U.S. Congress, prepared statement of 36 Wilk Valerie A. 1%I.S, health specialist Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc , Illep=on, DC, submitting letter to Chairman Geome Miller, dated 26, 1990, enclosing comments for the recor& are retained in commitee flies (see_ p. 170) 165 Wilkinson, Chris F., Ph.D., managing toxicologist, RiskFocus, Verger Inc , prepared etatement of 94 Wilson, Richard, Mallinckrodt professor of physics, Harvard University, Cambridge. MA, prepared statement of 62 ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS AND CHILDREN: EXPLORING THE RISKS, PART II THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1990 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SELECT COMMI'FFEE ON CHILDREN, Youni, AND FAMILIES, Washington, DC The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:20 a.m., in Room 210, Cannon House Office Building, the Honorable George Miller (chairman) presiding. Members present: Representatives Miller (chairman), Lehman, Sikorski, Durbin, Bliley, Packard, Holloway, and Walsh. Staff present: Karabelle Pizzigati, staff director; Jill Kagan, deputy staff director; Felicia Kornbluh, research assistant; and Joan Godley, committee clerk. Chairman MILLER. The select committee will come to order and, again, my apologies for the time change. Between thebudget summit and everything else, this place is crazy. Let me, first of all, welcome everybody to this morning's hearing. This is the second in a series of hearings the select committee has held to take an in-depth look at environmental toxins and children. The first hearing was held last week in Oakland, California, where we heard from parents of children, from people whowork with those who have been affected by toxins, and from scientists presenting evidence to the committee about the status of children in the workplace, children in their play areas, and childrenwhere they live. We also heard about the impacts and the differential treatment that we should consider regarding children due totheir exposure to toxins, to known toxins and to possibletoxins, in our general environment. This is a continuation of that investigation. As I think we are aware of, millions of children confront seriousenvironmental risks every day. It may be in schools withasbestos-lined walls or toxic art supplies; it may be in homes tainted with carcinogenicpesti- cides, or painted with lead-based paint, or filled with formaldehyde.