Pollution
What is pollution?
Pollution is one of the triple planetary crises, together with climate change and biodiversity loss. Pollution is understood as the presence or introduction into the environment of substances or energy that cause adverse effects on human health, the environment or living organisms; or that exceed the quality or quantity criteria established for certain environmental media.
Some forms of pollution, such as air pollution, water contamination, industrial waste, and noise pollution are more noticeable. However, other types, such as pesticides contamination in food production or endocrine disrupting chemicals in personal care products, are less apparent. The range of solutions to these pollution problems is as diverse as their origins.
How does pollution impact children’s health?
Children’s unique metabolism, physiology and developmental needs make them much more vulnerable than adults to pollutants, which can have a lifelong impact, causing disease, disability and an early death.
Children face the highest risks to pollution because small exposures to toxic and hazardous chemicals and waste in utero and in early childhood can result in lifelong disease, disability, premature death, as well as reduced learning and earning potential.
“Children are uniquely vulnerable to the adverse health effects of exposure to pollution and toxic substances. Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (art. 24), States Parties are required to provide adequate nutritious foods and clean drinking water, taking into consideration the dangers and risks of environmental pollution. Yet more than 1 million premature deaths among children under the age of 5 are caused by pollution and toxic substances annually.”
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment
Sources of pollution
Toxic metals and chemicals
- Lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and other toxic metals impair children's health and development. One in three children worldwide is estimated to have elevated levels of lead in their blood. Toxic metals could lead to digestive, reproductive and immune system impairment.
- A number of widely used chemicals can be damaging to the health of mothers, infants and children. These include highly hazardous pesticides, asbestos, benzene, dioxins and PCBs, phthalates and bisphenol A in some plastics, PFAs or the “forever chemicals”, excess fluoride and other hazardous chemicals. These toxic chemicals could lead to attention deficit hypersensitivity disorders and leukemia commonly found in children.
Hazardous waste
- Waste disposal sites, including landfills, and recycling sites can expose children to a wide range of toxic chemicals and metals. Unsafe burning of e-waste and medical waste can release toxicants into the air, water, and soil in a community.
- Conflict-related contamination can include a diverse and dangerous cocktail of contaminants arising from the bombing of industrial sites, causing toxic chemical contamination of land and water sources; or from oil wells being set on fire.
- Toxic and hazardous waste could lead to multiple short- and long-term health issues such as premature births and disorders in the nervous, cardiovascular, as well as reproductive systems.
Environmental risks
- Air pollution kills hundreds of thousands of children under 5 each year and contributes to chronic respiratory infections such as asthma and pneumonia, cancer, cardiovascular and other health effects.
- Mould, noise and radiation are other health threats in children's communities. Exposure to radiation could lead to cataract, skin cancer and damage to the immune system.
The Global Framework on Chemicals
In September 2023, the fifth International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5) adopted a new global framework, the “Global Framework on Chemicals,” which marked a new era in the ongoing efforts to address chemical pollution globally. The framework advocates for the sound management of chemicals across their lifecycle through five strategic objectives and 28 targets to be achieved in the next decade.
UN Common Approach Towards a Pollution-Free Planet
The United Nations System expresses a shared recognition of the urgency of acting and a commitment to mainstreaming pollution prevention and reduction through better coordinated efforts through the UN Common Approach to Pollution. These efforts will connect and build on the strategies and programmes of the work of the United Nations System entities and facilitate the implementation of related treaties.
