Arsenic Exposure and Motor Function among Children in Bangladesh

• Published in: Environmental health perspectives Vol. 119; no. 11; pp. 1665 - 1670
• Main Authors: Parvez, Faruque, Wasserman, Gail A., Factor-Litvak, Pam, Liu, Xinhua, Slavkovich, Vesna, Siddique, Abu B., Sultana, Rebeka, Sultana, Ruksana, Islam, Tariqul, Levy, Diane, Mey, Jacob L., van Geen, Alexander, Khan, Khalid, Kline, Jennie, Ahsan, Habibul, Graziano, Joseph H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Research Triangle Park, NC National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 01.11.2011; US Department of Health and Human Services
• Subjects: Arsenic; Arsenic - analysis; Arsenic - blood; Arsenic - toxicity; Arsenic - urine; Bangladesh - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Blood plasma; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Child; Child psychopathology; Children; Children's Health; Confidence Intervals; Contamination; Drinking water; Drinking Water - analysis; Environment. Living conditions; Environmental aspects; Environmental Exposure; Environmental health; Female; Health aspects; Humans; Lead - blood; Male; Manganese; Manganese - analysis; Manganese - blood; Manganese - toxicity; Manganese - urine; Mass Spectrometry; Medical sciences; Metals and various inorganic compounds; Motor ability; Motor Skills; Motor Skills Disorders - epidemiology; Nails - chemistry; Potable water; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk factors; School age children; Selenium; Selenium - blood; Toxicology; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - blood; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Water Pollutants, Chemical - urine; Asia; Bangladesh; United States; Human; Nervous system diseases; Arsenic; Coordination; Toxicity; Transition metal; Exposure; fine motor control; Bangladesh; Health and environment; neurotoxicity; Surveillance; Selenium; motor function; Child; Motricity; Manganese; bodily coordination
• ISSN: 0091-6765; 1552-9924
• DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1103548

Background: Several reports indicate that drinking water arsenic (WAs) and manganese (WMn) are associated with children's intellectual function. Very little is known, however, about possible associations with other neurologic outcomes such as motor function. Methods: We investigated the associations of WAs and WMn with motor function in 304 children in Bangladesh, 8-11 years of age. We measured As and Mn concentrations in drinking water, blood, urine, and toenails. We assessed motor function with the Bruininks-Oseretsky test, version 2, in four subscales—fine manual control (FMC), manual coordination (MC), body coordination (BC), and strength and agility—which can be summarized with a total motor composite score (TMC). Results: Log-transformed blood As was associated with decreases in TMC [β = -3.63; 95%confidence interval (CI): -6.72, -0.54; p < 0.01], FMC (β = -1.68; 95% CI: -3.19, -0.18; p < 0.05), and BC (β = -1.61; 95% CI: -2.72, -0.51; p < 0.01), with adjustment for sex, school attendance, head circumference, mother's intelligence, plasma ferritin, and blood Mn, lead, and selenium. Other measures of As exposure (WAs, urinary As, and toenail As) also were inversely associated with motor function scores, particularly TMC and BC. Square-transformed blood selenium was. positively associated with TMC (β -3.54; 95% CI: 1.10, 6.0; p < 0.01), FMC (β = 1.55; 95% CI: 0.40, 2.70; p < 0.005), and MC (β = 1.57; 95% CI: 0.60, 2.75; p < 0.005) in the unadjusted models. Mn exposure was not significantly associated with motor function. Conclusion: Our research demonstrates an adverse association of As exposure and a protective association of Se on motor function in children.