PSR-LA's Current Chemical Policy Reform Work

Pictures of Toys recalled due to lead paint contamination.

Recent news headlines highlight the need for chemical policy reform: the spate of toy recalls due to lead contamination, the possible connection between the mercury-derivative, thermisol and autism; and harmful chemicals being discovered in cosmetics and personal care products we use on a routine basis.

It is clear that current chemical regulation does not sufficiently protect human health.  It also evident that we must fundamentally change the way we produce products. DuPont’s old advertising line “better living through chemistry” must be rethought. 

Californians for a Healthy and Green Economy

PSR-LA is currently working to do just that- rethinking how products can be made more sustainably, environmentally friendly and healthier.  As a founding member of Californians for a Healthy and Green Economy (CHANGE) and a current Co-convener, we are working to transform how chemicals are regulated in California by playing a key role in California’s Green Chemistry Initiative.

The Green Chemistry Initiative is intended to lead the effort to fundamentally change how the state addresses toxic chemicals in order to develop safer processes and products, create new jobs and reduce waste. The goal of the initiative is to shift away from the current model of cleaning up hazardous waste sites and managing pollution that result in health and environmental impacts and to solutions that prevent the use of toxic materials in the first place.

PSR-LA and other CHANGE members are monitoring the Initiative very carefully to ensure that it truly addresses the needs of communities impacted by pollution.  The promise of creating chemicals that are safer and more environmentally friendly, i.e. green chemistry, is still a long-term prospect, however, a first step must be to ensure that California’s Green Chemistry Initiative has a strong set of principles. Without these building blocks, the Initiative will fail to sufficiently address the structural flaws in chemical policy in California.

A Successful Green Chemistry Initiative must include the following:

• A structure to collect and disseminate information on chemicals.
• The ability to recognize all of the hazard traits of chemicals.
• A regulatory structure to eliminate the use of bad-actor chemicals and hazardous products.
• Requirements for industry to provide comprehensive data on hazard traits of chemicals, and to demonstrate chemicals are safe before they come to market.

(For the entire list of CHANGE's Essential Building Blocks to Green Chemistry click here.)

These principles can help us develop a regulatory framework that prevents human harm and spurs sustainable economic innovation.

Connecting Reproductive Justice to Chemical Policy Reform

Over the last several years PSR-LA has seen how messages about environmental toxicants resonate with women’s health advocates. Because of this connection PSR-LA is providing education and training to women and girls directly impacted by pollution and hazardous chemicals. Training which will then empower them to begin participating in chemical policy change efforts.

One example of how PSR-LA is working to reframe environmental health issues as reproductive health and justice concerns is our work with the Los Angeles Office of Women’s Health.  PSR-LA partnered with the Office of Women’s health to include an environmental health/reproductive justice track at their 2007 Women’s Health Policy Summit. Recommendations from the environmental health/reproductive session can be viewed here.

PSR-LA is also collaborating with the Los Angeles Reproductive Justice Coalition to increase understanding and awareness about how reproductive toxicants are found in many commonly used personal care and cleaning products.

Preventing Lead Poisoning

In light of the latest findings of widespread lead contamination in children’s toys and other products and the continued exposure to lead in homes  it is essential to remind parents that lead poisoning is a serious public health problem and that many children who have elevated blood lead levels go untreated and unmanaged because they have not been tested.  More importantly, recent studies which demonstrate that low levels of lead in the blood are harmful and have long-term health impacts, reinforce the need to implement tools that will increase the number of children tested for lead poisoning.

PSR-LA is currently co-sponsoring legislation which seeks to increase the number of children tested for lead poisoning.

Senate Bill 775- The Lead Poisoning Prevention Act of 2007, will increase lead screenings of children at high risk of lead poisonings in California by adding lead risk assessments to the yellow immunization card- providing parents with a notification tool that their child should be tested.

Despite longstanding federally funded requirements for blood lead tests for children enrolled in the Medi-Cal and the Childhood Health and Disability Prevention Program (CHDP) very few of California's children enrolled in these programs have been tested for lead poisoning at age-appropriate levels.  With no safe level of lead in blood, blood lead testing is the only effective way to detect lead poisoning before severe and often irreversible symptoms occur. 

Low blood lead levels cause numerous health effects including lowered IQ, shortened attention span, decreased coordination, learning disabilities and neurological development problems.1 However, most children who accumulate lead in their body do not have any physical symptoms, thus, the need for blood lead testing at certain critical windows of child development.

Furthermore, the effects of lead on health do not stop once the child’s brain and nervous system mature or the blood lead level falls. A recent study found that children exposed to lead before the age of three had their IQ’s continue to fall even after blood lead levels had declined.2  The loss of a few IQ points in the population of children has marked impacts on educational needs and lowered earning potential. Lost lifetime earnings due to lead poisoning in California are estimated at over $10 billion per year.3

The best approach to lead poisoning is to prevent exposure in the first place, however, it will be years before lead is completely removed from the environment. In the meantime, testing to find elevated blood lead levels, case management and prevention of additional exposure is still required and necessary.

PSR-LA and its partner organizations which include the National Health Law Program ( the sponsor of SB 775, are currently working on amendments to the legislation. Once the bill is amended it is slated to go before the Assembly Health Committee sometime in June 2008. The bill already passed the California Senate in the summer of 2007.

References:

1. 1Bellinger D. Lead. Pediatrics. 2004; 113(4 Supplement):1016-1022.
2. 2Chen A, Dietrick KN, Ware JH, Radcliffe J, Rogan WJ. IQ and Blood lead from 2 to 7 years of age:are the effects in older children the residual of blood lead concentrations in 2-year olds? Environ Health Perspect. 2005;113(5):597-601.
3. 3 The annual lost lifetime earnings due to lead poisoning are calculated as follows: Expected lifetime income for boys/girls*number of boys/girls in California 2005 birth cohort*2.09% lifetime loss*EAFR 1.0. Our estimate is based on the following assumptions: Current average blood lead level of 1-5 year old in U.S. is the same as 1999-2002 data: 1.9ug/dL; Children in California have average blood levels equivalent to national levels; Loss of 0.46 IQ points per 1ug/dL blood lead; 2.39% loss of life time earning per IQ points; Lifetime earnings loss for boys $1,153,717 and $680,464 (2007 Bureau of Labor Stats for expected lifetime earnings .); California’s 2005 birth cohort =280,578 boys and 268,110 girls; and EAF= 100%. Methodology is based upon the state of Oregon’s calculations: http://www.oeconline.org/kidshealth/priceofpollution/leadexposure/document_view as well as Landrigan et al. methodology.
   

Health Impacts of Chemical Exposure

Pathways of Chemical Exposure

Why Current Chemical Policy Does Not Work