Boys are more susceptible to health problems from environmental pollutants than girls, according to a report released Saturday by the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment.

The findings show boys have a higher incidence of health problems, including asthma, cancer, learning and behavioural problems and birth defects.

"Boys are affected differently by various hormones, and therefore may be affected differently by various hormone-disrupting chemicals in the environment," Dr. Lynn Marshall, with the Ontario College of Family Physicians said.

The report found that boys appear to be even more vulnerable to toxins than girls while in the womb, the stage of development when children are most vulnerable. Researchers were particularly concerned about brain development in boys.

The findings mean that some environmental toxins may be more harmful in small concentrations than previously thought, Marshall said.

"It was thought that really it had to be a pretty high dose of different chemicals that are known to be harmful at high levels.But for young children or for fetuses that are just very rapidly developing all their organs and all their body systems ... a much lower dose of some of these chemicals may have very important and life-long effects."

Marshall urged dads to think about the toxins they may unintentionally bring home from work.

"Fathers can pay very close attention to any exposure ... they have in their workplaces." Marshall said. "(They can) make sure that they're not bringing home some toxins to expose their children at home or their wife who might be expecting."

According to the study, environmental risks for kids include endocrine disrupting properties of plastics; fallates which are used in softening Plastics; antiseptics used in food can liners; bisphenol-a, an industrial chemical used primarily to make plastic and heavy metals like lead and mercury etc.

Source: Xinhua