Air Pollution
91% of the world’s population breathes polluted air! Yet over one-third of countries have no laws protecting outdoor air quality! The World Health Organization (WHO) released updated air quality guidelines and targets for common air pollutants. WHO’s new guidelines aim to push governments to reduce pollution levels, protect the health of children and adults, and prevent climate change.
Pesticides
Pesticides are chemicals designed to kill, repel or control unwanted pests, such as insects (insecticides), weeds (herbicides), fungus (fungicides), harmful to cultivated plants, humans and animals.
Only a small amount of the pesticides actually reach their target; most of it leaches in the environment, contaminating the air, water, soil, and our food. Persistent pesticides, like DDT, can still be detected in humans 50 years after they were banned. Scientists have found pesticides in:
• Blood, urine and hair
• Breast milk
• Cord blood of newborns
• Placenta
No Safe Level
No safe blood lead level in children has been identified. Even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to negatively affect a child’s intelligence, ability to pay attention, and academic achievement. While the effects of lead poisoning may be permanent, if caught early, there are things parents can do to prevent further exposure and reduce damage to their child’s health.
PFAS: Forever Chemicals
Hundreds of everyday products are made with highly toxic fluorinated chemicals called PFAS. They build up in our bodies and never break down in the environment. PFAS are universally detected in pregnant women and cross the placenta. Very small doses of PFAS have been linked to cancer, reproductive and immune system harm, and other diseases.
Microplastics and Babies
Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic, often too small for the eye to see. And they’re everywhere.
A new study finds that they are released in huge quantities from plastic baby bottles when they’re used to prepare formula. The study suggests that bottle-fed infants around the world may be consuming more than 1.5 million particles of microplastics per day.
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What We Do
Little Things Matter raises awareness of the growing environmental risks we face as a global community by translating science into free, easy-to-understand and actionable materials. Our goal is to spread awareness about the effects of toxic chemicals on the health of our population and planet.
We believe that every child has the right to a healthy environment.
”
Follow Our Footsteps
Imagine being a child growing up surrounded by dozens of illegal plastic waste factories 🥤🗑️🏭💨 blowing horrible-smelling toxic gases into your home and school.
Rich countries have exported their plastic problem overseas, especially low-grade scrap like soiled food packaging, tinted bottles, and single-use plastic bags. Researchers have found that plastic recycling is often a myth; plastic waste is too often burned, landfilled, or incinerated.
In Malaysia 🇲🇾 chemist and activist Lay Peng Pua has fought illegal export and toxic plastic disposal with the award-winning organization Persatuan Tindakan Alam Sekitar Kuala Langat. They have succeeded in shutting down plastic factories – yet often see them reappear elsewhere.
Make your voice heard! Urge your government to support decisive action in the ongoing Global Plastic Treaty negotiations. The global system of "recycling" plastic is broken and needs to be fixed now to protect children and communities from toxic plastic waste.
Check out the work by Greenpeace Malaysia: https://bit.ly/3OeHwuO
Researchers from ISCHE and the ABCD Study found reduced cognition and cortical #brain volume of #children who lived in neighborhoods with high #lead exposure, especially poor children.
Small reductions in lead exposure might provide greater benefit to children experiencing more environmental adversity. #littlethingsmatter
Original article here: go.nature.com/2Tmqe30
@childrensla @uscehc
⭐ Recent Research ⭐
A recent study investigated ways to assess the health risks of hormone-disrupting chemicals (#PFAS) in the environment. The study found that women are particularly at risk of decreased levels of #thyroid hormones related to PFAS-contaminated drinking water.
This is especially important in #pregnant women when the fetus is dependent on the mother for thyroid hormones. Lack of thyroid in #gestation can lead to impaired #brain development.
Read more here: https://bit.ly/3OOL2tG
New Science ❗️
Researchers from Tulane University, the University of Southern California, and Kaiser Permanente of Southern California found that wildfire smoke exposure during the third trimester of pregnancy was associated with a 23% increase in autism rates.
The effect was strongest when families were exposed to smoky conditions for 10 or more days. Notably, wildfire smoke was a stronger predictor than overall air quality alone.
If you can see or smell wildfire smoke, stay indoors with windows closed and use a HEPA air cleaner if possible.
Women in the third trimester are especially vulnerable because this is when a baby’s brain is developing rapidly.
“Both autism and wildfires are on the rise, and this study is just the beginning of investigating links between the two,” said lead author David Luglio, a post-graduate fellow with Tulane University’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
🔗 Learn more about wildfire and autism: https://bit.ly/4bDYtLu
🌱 Learn more about how air pollution affects children’s health:
https://littlethingsmatter.ca/little-facts/
#NewScience #WildfireSmoke #PregnancyHealth #MaternalHealth #ChildrensHealth #CleanAir #EnvironmentalHealth #ProtectOurKids #ClimateAndHealth
⭐ Recent Research ⭐
A recent study investigated ways to assess the health risks of hormone-disrupting chemicals (#PFAS) in the environment. The study found that women are particularly at risk of decreased levels of #thyroid hormones related to PFAS-contaminated drinking water.
This is especially important in #pregnant women when the fetus is dependent on the mother for thyroid hormones. Lack of thyroid in #gestation can lead to impaired #brain development.
Read more here: https://bit.ly/3OOL2tG
✨ In the News ✨
Plastic poses significant threats to both humans and the environment. Let’s uncover the dark side of plastic…
Did you know that plastics are made from oil and gas refining by-products? And some of the chemicals used, like benzene and vinyl chloride, are known to cause cancer! 😱 As plastics break down, the chemicals used in their production can leak out and create new compounds. These compounds might be even more harmful than the original ones!
The excessive use of plastic, compounded by its unique difficulty to recycle, is causing a major problem; plastic is ending up in our babies, oceans, beaches, and wildlife! 🐬🌳👶
Matt Simon, a science journalist at Wired, writes, “So long as we’re churning out single-use plastic . . . we’re trying to drain the tub without turning off the tap. We’ve got to cut [plastics] out.”
So what can we do?
-Stop using plastic not labeled No. 1 or No. 2.
-Properly recycle No. 1 and No. 2 plastics.
-Bring and use reusable bags while shopping
-Package your food in glass containers rather than plastic.
-Support companies that use biodegradable packaging
To read the whole article: https://bit.ly/3DA1IBp
To learn more about microplastics:
https://bit.ly/3WEtBAx
📰 In The News 📰
Los Angeles, California is moving toward cleaner transportation. Earlier this month, the LA Department of Transportation (LADOT) launched the “Universal Basic Mobility” (UBM) program, bringing accessible clean transportation to South Los Angeles. Highlights include an E-bike library, electric community shuttle, electric vehicle car-sharing programs, and pedestrian and biker friendly roads.
Children who live in communities with fewer automotive emissions have lower incidence of asthma, obesity, and autism.
Read the full story and track the project’s progress at https://bit.ly/3pFKoai
"Did you know that in 2022 7 billion electronic toys featuring components like batteries and lights, were discarded? These toys, which often include remote-controlled toys, interactive gadgets, and battery-operated playsets, contribute to our growing e-waste problem.
Because of poor recycling rules and not enough awareness, these toys often end up causing fires and harming the environment when dumped in regular trash. Plus, they can impact children’s health by releasing harmful substances into the air and water.
This holiday season, let`s make a difference:
Choose Wisely:
- Pick toys that last and can be recycled. Avoid cheap, throwaway electronic toys.🪁
- Spread the Word: Tell your friends and family about the impact of e-toys on the environment and our health. 💪🏽
- Demand Action: Ask for better rules and responsibility from companies making electronic toys. 🏭
- Teach Others: Share ideas like using secondhand or homemade toys instead.🍪
Together, we can make this holiday season better for our planet and our well-being. #EWasteAwareness #SustainableToys #LittleThingsMatter" VIDEO: E-waste reduction Christmas
Meet Teresa Vincente
Teresa Vicente led a historic, grassroots campaign to save the Mar Menor ecosystem—Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon—from collapse, resulting in the passage of a new law in September 2022 granting the lagoon unique legal rights. Considered to be the most important saltwater coastal lagoon in the western Mediterranean, the once pristine waters of the Mar Menor had become polluted due to mining, rampant development of urban and tourist infrastructure, and, in recent years, intensive agriculture and livestock farming.
Worried by the slow death of the Mar Menor, Teresa was moved to action after a mass fish die-off in 2019. She became convinced that the only way to give the lagoon a chance of survival was to grant it legal personhood and recognize its rights. “Rights of nature” has been proposed and debated for years, but the theory did not gain much traction until recently: Ecosystems in Latin America and New Zealand had been granted such legal rights but none in Europe. Despite being told by experts that it was impossible, Teresa pushed ahead. Courtesy of the Goldman Environmental Prize
The Toxic Chemicals Line Up
Phthalates
Phthalates
EDCs
EDCs
Pesticides
Pesticides
Lead
Lead
Air Pollution
Air Pollution
PFAS
PFAS
Fluoride
Fluoride
Microplastics
Microplastics
PFAS
PFAS
little Steps big impact
Sometimes the events that alter history and have enduring impact happen behind the scenes or without much fanfare. Little Steps, Big Impact takes a moment to highlight those significant events and celebrate their contributions.
Shifting to phthalate-free products
can quickly lower toxin levels
A new study shows that young women who use conventional foundation, blush, and mascara have higher levels of phthalates in their blood. Phthalates are hormone-disruptors, and can mimic or block hormones from properly signaling in the body, disrupting important reproductive and neurological systems.
When the young women in the study stopped using
products with phthalates, the level of some chemicals
in their blood lowered up to 45% after three days.
To reduce the amount of phthalates in your blood, swap personal care products for those without phthalates, parabens, or PFAS (or just stop using them). Products without these chemicals can be found by searching EWG’s SkinDeep database.
little videos that capture the big picture
Expand your mind and understanding of how environmental toxic chemicals affect all of us with these short educational videos.
The Deadly Impact of Airborne Particles: air pollution is all around us, what can we do?