ABSTRACT
Environmental health regulations aim to protect populations from exposure to toxic chemicals and other environmental agents that can be harmful to health. The risk of an adverse health effect depends on several factors including the agent’s toxicity, the level and duration of exposure, and the organism’s sensitivity. There is concern that children are often more sensitive than adults given comparable exposures: their likelihood of developing adverse effects may be higher, their response more severe, their symptoms different, or impacts on them may not be apparent until long after the exposure has occurred. In recent years, research has aimed at understanding child-adult differences in sensitivity and risk, prompted by efforts to ensure that regulations are adequately protective. While factors that contribute to these differences have been identifi ed, many knowledge gaps still exist.
