Children's health in Latin America: the influence of environmental exposures

Our plain-English summary of Children's health in Latin America: the influence of environmental exposures, by A. Laborde, F. Tomasina, F. Bianchi, et al (Environmental Health Perspectives, 2015).

The study

• Authors: A. Laborde, F. Tomasina, F. Bianchi, M.N. Bruné, I. Buka, P. Comba, L. Corra, L. Cori, C.M. Duffert, R. Harari, I. Iavarone, M.A. McDiarmid, K.A. Gray, P.D. Sly, A. Soares, W.A. Suk, P.J. Landrigan
• Journal: Environmental Health Perspectives
• Published: 2015;123(3):201-9
• Type of article: Review
• Cited by: 93 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Background: Chronic diseases are increasing among children in Latin America.

Objective And Methods: To examine environmental risk factors for chronic disease in Latin American children and to develop a strategic initiative for control of these exposures, the World Health Organization (WHO) including the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Collegium Ramazzini, and Latin American scientists reviewed regional and relevant global data.

Results: Industrial development and urbanization are proceeding rapidly in Latin America, and environmental pollution has become widespread. Environmental threats to children's health include traditional hazards such as indoor air pollution and drinking-water contamination; the newer hazards of urban air pollution; toxic chemicals such as lead, asbestos, mercury, arsenic, and pesticides; hazardous and electronic waste; and climate change. The mix of traditional and modern hazards varies greatly across and within countries reflecting industrialization, urbanization, and socioeconomic forces.

Conclusions: To control environmental threats to children's health in Latin America, WHO, including PAHO, will focus on the most highly prevalent and serious hazards-indoor and outdoor air pollution, water pollution, and toxic chemicals. Strategies for controlling these hazards include developing tracking data on regional trends in children's environmental health (CEH), building a network of Collaborating Centres, promoting biomedical research in CEH, building regional capacity, supporting development of evidence-based prevention policies, studying the economic costs of chronic diseases in children, and developing platforms for dialogue with relevant stakeholders.

In plain English

This article was a review. Scientists working with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Collegium Ramazzini reviewed regional and global data on environmental hazards to children's health in Latin America and described a plan for WHO and PAHO action. The hazards covered included indoor and outdoor air pollution, lead, mercury, asbestos, arsenic, pesticides, hazardous and electronic waste, and climate change. A short section on asbestos reported figures taken from other sources. Global consumption was about 2 million tons a year, virtually all in developing countries. Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Honduras had banned asbestos, while some sources reported rising consumption in Mexico and El Salvador. Brazil produced 306,500 tons in 2012 and was the world's third largest producer. Colombian production was estimated at 60,000 tons a year in 2003 and 2004. About 80% of asbestos used in Brazil went into asbestos cement, such as roof tiles and water tanks. The article named no fiber types and gave no data on asbestos-related disease in children. The authors concluded that WHO and PAHO will focus on air pollution, water pollution and toxic chemicals.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: review of regional and global data, with a proposed WHO/PAHO strategic plan
• Who was studied: children in Latin America; regional and relevant global data reviewed by WHO, PAHO, the Collegium Ramazzini and Latin American scientists, with material first discussed at a conference in Montevideo, Uruguay, in March 2012
• Exposure: environmental hazards including air pollution, water contamination, lead, asbestos, mercury, arsenic, pesticides, hazardous and electronic waste, and climate change; asbestos is discussed in terms of national consumption, production and asbestos cement use, with no fiber types named
• Main results:
  • Citing Virta 2009, the review reported current global asbestos consumption of about 2 million tons a year, virtually all of it in developing countries
  • Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Honduras had banned asbestos
  • Citing Roselli 2014, the review said some sources report rising asbestos consumption in a few countries such as Mexico and El Salvador
  • Citing Virta 2012, Brazil produced 306,500 tons of asbestos in 2012 and was the world's third largest producer
  • Citing Roselli 2014, annual asbestos production in Colombia in 2003 and 2004 was an estimated 60,000 tons
  • Citing Berman 1986, about 80% of the asbestos used in Brazil is consumed as asbestos cement, for roof tiles, roofing panels, wall-board and water tanks
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that, to control environmental threats to children's health in Latin America, WHO including PAHO will focus on indoor and outdoor air pollution, water pollution and toxic chemicals

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Environmental Exposure, Collegium Ramazzini.

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• Environmental aftermath — L. Claudio (2001)
• The contribution of environmental monitoring in the epidemiological assessment of exogenous risk. The experience of ARPA in the Emilia-Romagna Region of Italy — A. Zavatti, P. Lauriola (1999)
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