When making your summer plans or getting ready for the school season; be prepared and book your summer/school physicals in advance!
Dr. Scott Goldstein’s subtitle, and big question, at his discussion about pediatric environmental health at our NWCP Brown Bag Chat on April 19, 2017, was “Is anything not going to kill us?” (His answer was, “Probably not!”) Dr. Goldstein’s goals were to present common pediatric environmental health concerns, to offer practical suggestions to make our homes more environmentally safe and to provide trusted resources for families to learn more about these concerning topics. He included information about air pollution (inside and outside), carbon monoxide, electric and magnetic fields, tobacco smoke, herbs and dietary supplements, food and radon.
Please refer to Dr. Goldstein’s slides for comprehensive and concise information about these topics. Included below are some practical tips Dr. Goldstein recommended to help make your family’s environment safer.
As Dr. Goldstein emphasized, children are NOT just small adults and related to the following characteristics, they are more susceptible to environmental concerns: children are closer to the ground, they often put things in their mouth, and the proportion of what they eat and drink per body weight is higher compared to adults.
Pollution prevention:
Carbon monoxide exposure prevention:
Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure risk:
Herbs, supplements and food safety:
Mercury, noise, and UV light exposure:
Household Cleaning Cookbook:
Glass cleaner: Mix 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice in 1 quart of water
Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Use a toilet brush and baking soda or vinegar
Furniture Polish: 1 teaspoon lemon juice in 1 pint vegetable oil
Rug deodorizer: sprinkle rug with baking soda, then vacuum after 15minutes
Plant spray: Wipe leaves with mild soap and rinse with water
www.epa.gov/epp/pubs/cleaning.htm
Helpful Links/Resources:
Air Pollution Prevention
Environmental Protection Agency
Air quality: www.epa.gov/epahome/whereyoulive/htm
Integrated Risk Information System: www.epa.gov/iris
Asthma: www.epa.gov/asthma
Herbs and Dietary Supplements
Lead/Mercury
Sun Safety
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