How Environmental Pollution
Impairs Brain Development
—
and How to Protect the Brains
of the Next Generation
This page provides a list of industrial chemicals known to cause brain toxicity and neurological symptoms in humans (generally in adults), thus proving that the substance can reach the brain and exert toxicity to brain cells. Substances that are considered high-production volume (US, EU, or OECD) are labeled with an asterisk (*). The first version was developed in collaboration with Professor Philip Landrigan and published in The Lancet in 2006. This list of 214 compounds (as most recently updated in 2014) is not meant to be exhaustive but includes substances that are known by now to cause adverse effects on the human nervous system. The list will be updated as new evidence emerges. Documentation for additions will be appreciated for such updates.
| Metals and Inorganic Compounds | Pesticides |
|---|---|
| Aluminum Arsenic and arsenic compounds Azides Barium compounds Bismuth compounds Carbon monoxide* Cyanides Decaborane Diborane Ethylmercury Fluorides Hydrogen phosphide Hydrogen sulfide* Lead and lead compounds* Lithium compounds Manganese and manganese compounds* Mercury and mercuric compounds Methylmercury Nickel carbonyl Pentaborane Phosphine Phosphorus* Selenium compounds Tellurium compounds Thallium compounds Tin compounds* |
Acetamiprid Aldicarb (Temik) Aldrin Amitraz Avermectin Bensulide Bromophos (Brofene) Carbaryl (Sevin)* Carbofuran (Furadan)* Carbophenothion (Trithion) α-Chloralose Chlordane Chlorfenvinphos Chlormephos Chlorothion Chlorpyrifos (Dursban, Lorsban)* Coumaphos Cyhalothrin (Karate) Cyolane (Phospholan) Cypermethrin Deltamethrin (Decamethrin) Demeton-S-methyl Dialifor Diazinon* Dichlofenthion 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)* 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)* 1,3-Dichloropropene* Dichlorvos (DDVP, Vapona) Dieldrin Dimefox Dimethoate* 4,6-Dinitro-o-cresol Dinoseb* Dioxathion Disulfoton Edifenphos Emamectin Endosulfan (Thiodan)* Endothion Endrin Ethiofencarb (Croneton) Ethion Ethoprop O-Ethyl O-(4-nitrophenyl) phenylphosphonothioate (EPN) Fenitrothion Fensulfothion Fenthion* Fenvalerate Fipronil (Termidor) Fonofos Formothion Glyphosate Heptachlor Heptenophos Hexachlorobenzene* Hexaconazole Imidacloprid Isobenzan Isolan Isoxathion Kepone (Chlordecone) Leptophos Lindane (γ-Hexachlorocyclohexane)* Merphos* Metaldehyde* Methamidophos* Methidathion (Suprathion) Methomyl Methyl bromide* Methyl parathion (Parathion-methyl)* Mevinphos Mexacarbate (Zectran) Mipafox Mirex Monocrotophos Naled Nicotine Oxydemeton-methyl Parathion* Pentachlorophenol Phorate Phosphamidon (Dimecron) Propaphos Propoxur (Baygon)* Pyriminil (Pyrinuron, Vacor) Sarin Schradan Soman Sulprofos Systox (Demeton) Tebupirimfos Tefluthrin Terbufos Tetramethylenedisulfotetramine (Tetramine)** Thiram* Toxaphene 2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) Trichlorfon Trichloronate **Added after “Only One Chance” went to press |
| Organic Solvents | |
| Acetone* Benzene* Benzyl alcohol* 1-Bromopropane* Carbon disulfide* Chloroform* Cyclohexane* Cyclohexanol* Cyclohexanone* 1,2-Dibromoethane* Dichloroacetic acid Dichloromethane* Diethylene glycol* N,N-Dimethylformamide* Ethanol (Alcohol)* Ethyl acetate* Ethyl chloride Ethylene glycol* Ethylene glycol ethyl ether (Ethoxyethanol)* Ethylene glycol methyl ether (Methoxyethanol or Methyl cellosolve)* n-Hexane* Isophorone* Isopropyl alcohol* Methanol (Methyl alcohol)* Methyl-n-butyl ketone (2-Hexanone) Methylcyclopentane Methyl ethyl ketone* Methyl isobutyl ketone* 2-Methylpropanenitrile* Nitrobenzene* 2-Nitropropane* 1-Pentanol* Pyridine* Styrene* 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane* Tetrachloroethylene (Perchloroethylene)* Toluene* 1,1,1-Trichloroethane (Methylchloroform)* Trichloroethylene* Xylenes* |
|
| Other Organic Substances | |
| Acetone cyanohydrin (2-Hydroxy-2-methylpropanenitrile)* Acrylamide (2-Propenamide) * Acrylonitrile* Allyl chloride (1-Chloro-2-propene)* Aniline* 1,4-Benzenediamine (4-Aminoaniline)* 1,2-Benzenedicarbonitrile (1,2-Dicyanobenzene)* Benzonitrile* 1,3-Butadiene* Butylated triphenyl phosphate* Caprolactam (Azepan-2-one)* Chloroprene* Cumene* Cyclonite (RDX)* Diethylene glycol diacrylate* Di-N-butyl phthalate* Dimethyl sulfate* Dimethylhydrazine* 3-(Dimethylamino)-propanenitrile* Dinitrobenzene* Dinitrotoluene* Ethylbis(2-chloroethyl)amine Ethylene Ethylene oxide* Fluoroacetamide Fluoroacetate* Hexachlorophene Hydrazine* Hydroquinone* Methyl chloride (Chloromethane)* Methyl formate* Methyl iodide Methyl methacrylate* 4-Nitroaniline* Phenol* Phenylhydrazine Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) 1,2-Propylene oxide* 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) Tributyl phosphate* Tri-o-cresylphosphate Trimethyl phosphate Triphenyl phosphate* Tris(2-chloroethyl)amine (Trichlormethine) Vinyl chloride (Chloroethene)* |
