Additional Environmental Health Resources

Children’s Environmental Health

Did you know?... Children are uniquely vulnerable to harm from exposure to environmental agents where they live, learn, and play.

  • Physiologically, children are not just small adults.
  • Their rates of breathing and breathing zones are different from adults.
  • Their metabolic rates are higher relative to their size.
  • They have a larger ratio of surface area to body mass.
  • Their exposure potential is increased by behaviors such as crawling, mouthing hands and objects, and other hand-to-mouth behaviors.

These and other physiological differences, combined with rapid body development, can make children more vulnerable when exposed to environmental contaminants.

The American Public Health Association (APHA) Policy Statement on Children’s Environmental Health urges all sectors of society to help protect children and minimize the risk of health impacts like childhood cancer. To learn more about preventing childhood cancer, review this APHA Cancer Factsheet.

Lead

Lead in Schools

Children are the most susceptible to lead exposure and spend a large amount of their childhood in schools. Most lead in school drinking water results from the corrosion of older plumbing materials containing lead. DPHHS is partnering with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to provide sampling and remediation technical assistance and guidance to schools. To find out more about the Lead in Schools Program including background information, program goals/requirements, and more, visit Montana Lead in Schools Program.

  • To view school lead sampling data, visit Montana Lead in Schools Program Sampling Results (select “Click Here to See School Results” and then “Welcome” in the top right to enter the school name).

Additional Resources

Below are guidance and childcare-specific fact sheets on topics that affect children's environmental health.