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.
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Follow Our Footsteps
#FridaysForFuture 💫⠀
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The Indian state of Sikkim banned import of all pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers and GMOs in 2003, becoming the world’s first fully certified organic state in 2016. ⠀
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The result? 🧐⠀
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The government says wildlife have returned 🦌, crops are flourishing 🌼 and tourism increased by 70% 🚲. ⠀
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https://bit.ly/3BIbjoa
🌟 Little Facts 🌟
Over 1 billion children are at high risk for climate change events that can lead to disease and death.
“Children’s health will benefit from reducing and eliminating fossil fuel emissions as rapidly as possible and transition to clean and renewable sources of energy,” says Dr. Frederica Pereira, founder of the @CCCEH_columbia.
Due to their smaller body size, frequent hand to mouth behavior, and rapidly growing cells, children are especially vulnerable to extreme heat, air pollution, disease, and natural disasters caused by climate change.
🤰 Baby’s early years = extra vulnerable to climate change 🔥 and air pollution 🏭
Read the full review here: https://bit.ly/3CaYWTO
✋ YOU asked... WE answered! 👇
Q: You asked: "What chemicals are found in breastmilk and should I be concerned?"
A: While toxic chemicals like PFAS and POPs can be found in breastmilk, most women do not have levels in their breastmilk that should cause them to stop breastfeeding (Balk & Etzel, 2020). We feel strongly that women should not bear the brunt of having to worry about chemicals in their breastmilk, and industry should be held accountable.
While we continue advocating for stronger regulations to prevent chemicals from entering breastmilk, women can reduce exposure to chemicals while breastfeeding by:
1. eating fresh/frozen foods and choosing organic when possible;
2. avoiding packaged foods and heavily processed foods;
3. cleaning with a wet-mop and avoiding dust build up;
4. avoiding fragrance and other chemicals in personal-care products;
5. checking home and water for lead hazards and other heavy metals.
Read more about how to prevent exposures here: littlethingsmatter.ca/little-facts
❓ What other questions do you have for us?
Reference: Protecting Your Child`s Health: Expert Answers to Urgent Environmental Questions
By Sophie J. Balk, MD, FAAP and Dr. Ruth A. Etzel, MD, PhD, FAAP
https://bit.ly/4kr7YOX
People often hear “the dose makes the poison” but chemicals can be active at very low levels. Besides, toxins don’t occur in isolation. 👎
Watch to learn which toxins all children are exposed to. You can reduce levels to these exposures by:
1. Writing a letter to your representative and demanding that there be stricter regulations on chemicals found in food and personal care products. 📩
2. Eating fresh or frozen food, and choosing organic when possible. 🍎
3. Avoiding canned or processed foods. 🚫
4. If you are pregnant, eating fish with low levels of mercury. 🐟
5. Not using pesticides in and around your home. 🚫
6. Checking your home for lead hazards. 📝
7. Dusting floors and surfaces to reduce exposures. 🧹
8. Reading labels on personal care products. 📝
📰 In the News 📰⠀
@Ecowatch spotlights a recent ruling from the @epagov that restored a previous statute protecting vulnerable communities from toxic chemicals. 🙌🏽⠀
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Your vote makes a difference when it comes to electing public officials who prioritize health over earnings. ⠀
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Read the story: http://bit.ly/3IuU6SI
#LittleFact 5: The Impact of Air Pollution on Children`s Health
Every day, over 90% of children breathe polluted air. Learn more about the impacts of #airpollution on children`s health and development, and what you can do to lower your family`s exposure: littlethingsmatter.ca/air-pollution
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?