Provided by: www.ewg.org
Neurotoxic compounds are toxic to the brain, spinal cord, or other parts of the nervous system. Effects range from muscle weakness, tremors and loss of motor control, to confusion, memory loss, and permanently impaired behavior or learning capacity. Exposure to neurotoxic compounds is particularly risky for the fetus, infants and young children.
The nervous system is incompletely developed at birth and very vulnerable to damage from toxic chemicals through at least two years of age. Levels of some toxic substances that are safe for adults, can cause permanent brain and nervous system damage if this same level of exposure occurs during early childhood. Lead poisoning is the classic example of this phenomenon.
With few exceptions (lead) there are no standards in place to protect the fetus, infant or young child from neurotoxic compounds in food. Current food standards fail to protect the young from neurotoxic compounds in two ways:
- They assume that young children eat the same amounts (relative to body weight) of food as adults when, in fact, young children eat 3 to 4 times more food than an adult on a bodyweight basis.
- Neurotoxicity tests that form the basis for safety standards are only performed on adult test animals. The effects on the fetus and infant, particularly the long term effects, are generally not studied.
Common neurotoxic contaminants found in food include lead, methyl-mercury, organophosphate insecticides, and DDT.
For more information on neurotoxicity and pesticides, read EWG's 1997 report Overexposed: Organophosphate Insecticides in Children's Food.
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