Child Health and Environment QUIZ

1. A square metre of old carpet can contain _________ dust than a bare floor beside it?
a) 4 times as much
b) 40 times as much
c) 400 times as much
d) , if regularly vacuumed, less

2. Fine particles (less than 25 microns in diameter) in smog can pass directly from the lungs into the
bloodstream? True/False?

3. Children are more sensitive to chemicals because:

a) they eat, drink and breathe more air for their size than adults
b) their bodies are not fully developed
c) their behaviours put them at risk
d) all of the above

4. Damage to the brain during fetal or early childhood development is temporary; the body can correct
problems as growth and development continues. True/False?

5. There has been a four-fold increase in asthma in Canadian children since the 1980s. True or False?

6. Thyroid cancer is the fastest rising type of cancer among young adults (aged 20-44 years) in Canada.
True or False?

7. Lead in paint is no longer a problem. True or False?

8. Phthalates are:
a) hard to pronounce or remember how to spell
b) not bound to plastics and can be released into indoor air, dust and foods, especially oily foods, on
contact or when heated.
c) used to soften poly vinyl chloride (PVC), a hard plastic
d) used in numerous cosmetics, flooring, shower curtains and t-shirt logos
e) found in the bodies of most people
f) found at higher levels in children than in adults
g) chemicals that have been banned in the US, Europe and Canada for use in soft plastic toys
h) associated, in animal studies, with cancer, reproductive impacts and liver and kidney toxicity
i) all of the above

9. Burning garbage, especially containing plastics, in backyard burn bins releases high levels of very
dangerous chemicals to the air. True/False?

10. House dust, dryer lint and the contents of the vacuum cleaner bag can contain small amounts of toxic
metals like lead and mercury, pesticide residues, flame retardants (PBDEs), perfluorinated chemicals (used
to resist water/stains), and other chemicals alongside clothing lint, soil particles, and human and animal
hair and skin flakes. True/False?
 Child Health and Environment QUIZ Answers

1. Answer is c) 400 times. Note that the question refers to old carpet. Contaminants will build up over time.
New carpeting can also off-gas chemicals as a result of materials used or treatment with stain repellants.
Mould can also grow in carpets if there is dampness. Reconsider the use of carpets where children spend a
lot of time. Vacuum carpets at least once a week, twice a week in a home with a crawling child. Throw out
the dust with the trash; do not compost it.

2. True. The surface of fine particles is actually covered with a mixture of toxic metals and chemicals. When
they pass into the blood stream, these chemicals circulate in the body. The link between air pollution as an
asthma trigger is well established. More recent evidence suggests links between maternal exposure to air
pollution during pregnancy and low birth weight, premature birth, and impacts on a childs lung
development. Air pollution is also linked to heart disease .

3. Children are more sensitive to chemicals because d) all of the above.

4. False. You only get one chance to develop your brain. While some correction and compensation can occur,
experts agree that adverse impacts on early brain development are irreversible. Chemicals that are known
or suspected to harm the developing brain include the metals lead, mercury, arsenic and manganese,
several different organic solvents, many different pesticides, air pollutants such as polyaromatic
hydrocarbons, environmental tobacco smoke, industrial chemicals including PCBs, phthalates, bisphenol A,
dibutyltin, PBDEs, the anti-bacterial chemical triclosan, as well as artificial food colours and additives.

5. True. Fortunately, this increase in childhood asthma has been slowing down and leveling off in recent
years. The Ontario Medical Association estimates over $3.6 billion in annual economic damages from air
pollution.

6. True. While the statistics do not show a rise in cancer among children in Canada, there are significant
increases among certain cancers in young adults.

7. False. Lead in old paint remains a very serious exposure hazard for women of child-bearing age, pregnant
women and young children. Any paint applied before 1978 will contain high levels of lead and even until
1990, some paints still contained lead. In older homes, such as those built before the 1960s, levels of lead
in paint can be extremely high. Millions of homes across Canada still have lead in paint, either on the
surface, or in lower layers. This paint can create indoor lead hazards in chips or dust from regular wear
and tear. Especially dangerous are lead levels that result from demolition activities or paint removal during
renovations.

8. Phthalates are a group of chemicals with many different industrial and consumer product uses. Phthalates
are: i) all of the above.

9. True. Just because something will burn does not mean it should be burned. Because of the chemicals they
contain or that can be produced from burning, the following should not be burned:
garbage of any kind (plastics are the main problem here)
treated, painted, or coated wood
plywood and particle board
salt water driftwood
railroad ties

10. True. Contaminants in house dust will also be concentrated in/on mops, brooms, dustpans, cleaning rags
as well as on appliances such as computers, televisions, and DVD players. Wherever dust collects or is
collected, trace levels of contaminants will be present. They originate almost entirely from consumer
products used indoors although some can be are tracked in from outdoors.

For more information about all of these topics see Child Health and the Environment A Primer and other
resources on the CPCHE website.

Information current to: March 2012

Canadian Partnership for Childrens Health & Environment
www.healthyenvironmentforkids.ca