(By Dr. Joe Schwarcz, Office for Science and Society at McGill University)
“Children are not small adults” is one of the tenets of toxicology. Some substances that may be totally innocuous in adults can affect children dramatically. Young livers and kidneys are less adept at removing toxins, and susceptibility to hormone-like chemicals is greater during development than in adulthood. Children also inhale more air, and consume more liquids and food per kilogram of body weight than grownups and therefore are more prone to the effects of air pollution and potential toxins in foods or beverages. Read More.