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| True
or false: Children are at higher risk from some environmental
contaminants than adults because of their height.
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Yes. Certain
environmental contaminants are heavier than air (such as
mercury vapor). This causes them to be found at higher
concentrations closer to the floor, which is where a child
might breathe them in.
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Source: Similarities and Differences Between
Children and Adults. Implications for Risk Assessment.
Guzelian, PS, Henry, CJ, Olin, SS, Eds., ILSI Press, 1992
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Choose
adult, infant and young child, or neither:
Which
group, if any, has more skin surface compared to body weight (and
why should it matter)?
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No, actually a typical adult has less than half as much skin
surface when compared to body weight as an infant or young child.
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Yes, and by up to 2 1/2 times as much. This is important
because some chemicals are absorbed by the skin.
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Source: Similarities and Differences Between
Children and Adults. Implications for Risk Assessment.
Guzelian, PS, Henry, CJ, Olin, SS, Eds., ILSI Press, 1992
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| True
or false: Since infants have smaller lungs than adults,
they are safer from the effects of contamination in air. |
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Correct. Children
are at higher risk from air pollution for several reasons.
An infant at rest breathes twice as fast as an adult.
So, on a pound-for-pound basis, an infant takes in more
air than her parents. Also, her lungs aren't completely
developed until about age 8 years. Anything that damages
the child's lungs can have more serious consequences, because
they have fewer cells to risk.
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Source: Similarities and Differences Between
Children and Adults. Implications for Risk Assessment.
Guzelian, PS, Henry, CJ, Olin, SS, Eds., ILSI Press, 1992
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