There are approximately 65,000 two-year-olds in Denmark sharing many characteristics when learning about the world. For example the way they act when eating, bathing, sleeping or playing.
You never know what they will get up to: they might eat sand, paint their nails with a felt tip pen, eat dust, suck on shower curtains or put toys in their mouth.
Children are exposed to chemicals Each of the 65,000 two-year-olds in Denmark is a good reason to secure better chemicals in our daily lives.
Every day young children are exposed to a chemical cocktail from the indoor climate, the food they eat and the products they use, which apply to all of us. However, due to the size of the toddlers, their behaviour and stage of development, young children are particularly vulnerable, as they are exposed to chemicals in many different situations during a 24-hour period, and in the worst case that this may lead to endocrine disruptions and allergies.
Guidelines and leaflet The Danish EPA has published a leaflet which will provide you with an overview on how you can help protect young children.
As something new, the guidelines presented in the leaflet are based on a comprehensive analysis of a typical day in the life of a typical two-year-old. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency has investigated which endocrine disruptors and potential endocrine disruptors that two-year-olds are exposed to during a 24-hour period, and whether these present a risk.
The main conclusion is that the majority of the endocrine disruptors that your child is exposed to derive from indoor climate and the food. There are especially three substance groups that we must target: parabens, which are used as a preservative in some sunscreens and body lotions; phthalates, which are used as softeners in plastics; and PCBs, which have previously been used in buildings etc.
The most important thing you can do is to ensure that your child eats a varied diet, provide a healthy indoor climate and buy products that do not contain endocrine disruptors and allergenic substances. By doing so, you can dilute the cocktail of substances that your child is exposed to.
Even though this advice is based on the world of a two-year-old, it is equally valid for adults and children of all ages.
Read the entire leaflet (pdf) - please note 5Mb file!
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