Question - What are the factors that may play a role in the notion that infants and children are at higher risk than adolescents and adults for environmental toxicants?
Answer- The cited article notes “Infants and children are at higher risk than adolescents and adults for exposure to environmental toxins via ingestion for a number of reasons: their smaller size (and proportionately larger dose of ingested toxins), their closer proximity to the ground, dirt, and indoor dust, their boundless curiosity and oral exploratory behaviors, pica habits that may persist into school-age for children with autism or other developmental delays, their proportionately larger daily water and milk intake, and food preferences that differ markedly from adolescents and adults.” (Hauptman M and Wolfe AD. Childhood ingestions of environmental toxins: What are the risks? 2017 Pediatr Ann 46(12): e466-e471)