A research report has found that boys are more susceptible to health problems from environmental pollutants than girls.

The findings, released by the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment, show boys have a higher incidence of health problems. Those include 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, told CTV Newsnet on Saturday.

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.

"There are some genetic differences between males and females ... but also there may be different hormonal developmental phases," Marshall said.

Marshall explained the findings mean that some environmental toxins may be more harmful in small concentrations than previously thought.

"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," she said.

"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."

The study's results were released in conjunction with Father's Day to draw parents' attention to the health risks posed by chemicals. 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."

Environmental risks for kids include:

• Endocrine disrupting properties of plastics;
• Fallates which are used, for instance, in softening
• Plastics;
• Antiseptics used in food can liners;
• Bisphenol-a, an industrial chemical used primarily to make plastic;
• Heavy metals like lead and mercury;
• Flame retardants, like polybrominated biphenyls, that last a long time the environment and are very common--particularly in dust, foam furniture and computer casings.