A cross-sectional study of well water arsenic and child IQ in Maine schoolchildren

Environmental Health

Research

Gail A Wasserman¹  Diane Levy²  Nancy J LoIacono²  Pam Factor-Litvak²  Joseph H Graziano²  Xinhua Liu²  Richard Abramson³  Alexander van Geen⁴  Jacob L Mey⁵  Jennie Kline⁶  Amy Schwartz⁷ 

[1] Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University New York, NY, USA;New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA;Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYSPI, 1051 Riverside Drive, 10032, New York, NY, USA;Departments of Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health New York, NY, USA;Formerly with Readfield, ME Public Schools Readfield, USA;Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University Palisades, NY, USA;Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University Palisades, NY, USA;City University of New York, Kingsborough CC Brooklyn, NY, USA;New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA;Departments of Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health New York, NY, USA;University of New Hampshire, NH Institute for Health Policy &, Practice Durham, NH, USA;

关键词: Arsenic;    Child intelligence;    Well water;    WISC-IV;    Working Memory;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1476-069X-13-23

 received in 2013-11-11, accepted in 2014-03-20,  发布年份 2014

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundIn recent studies in Bangladesh and elsewhere, exposure to arsenic (As) via drinking water is negatively associated with performance-related aspects of child intelligence (e.g., Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory) after adjustment for social factors. Because findings are not easily generalizable to the US, we examine this relation in a US population.MethodsIn 272 children in grades 3–5 from three Maine school districts, we examine associations between drinking water As (WAs) and intelligence (WISC-IV).ResultsOn average, children had resided in their current home for 7.3 years (approximately 75% of their lives). In unadjusted analyses, household well WAs is associated with decreased scores on most WISC-IV Indices. With adjustment for maternal IQ and education, HOME environment, school district and number of siblings, WAs remains significantly negatively associated with Full Scale IQ and Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory and Verbal Comprehension scores. Compared to those with WAs < 5 μg/L, exposure to WAs ≥ 5 μg/L was associated with reductions of approximately 5–6 points in both Full Scale IQ (p < 0.01) and most Index scores (Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory, Verbal Comprehension, all p’s < 0.05). Both maternal IQ and education were associated with lower levels of WAs, possibly reflecting behaviors (e.g., water filters, residential choice) limiting exposure. Both WAs and maternal measures were associated with school district.ConclusionsThe magnitude of the association between WAs and child IQ raises the possibility that levels of WAs ≥ 5 μg/L, levels that are not uncommon in the United States, pose a threat to child development.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Wasserman et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2014