17. Kids and Chemicals

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. 10 May 2002. 58 min

Are we making our children sick? In the last 70 years, more than 75,000 synthetic chemicals and metals have been put to use in America - chemicals that in many cases make our lives easier and better. They kill insects and weeds, clean our clothes and carpets, unclog our drains, create produce and lawns as pretty as a picture. But most of these chemicals have never been tested for their toxic effects on children. And scientists are concerned that recent increases in childhood illnesses like asthma and cancer, as well as learning disabilities, may be related to the environment, to what kids eat, drink and breathe. KIDS AND CHEMICALS, a special edition of NOW, features medical investigators and health officials engaged in the latest research on links between childhood illness and environmental contamination.