Intelligence and growth development of children in coal-burning-borne arsenism and fluorosis areas: an investigation study / 中华地方病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the influence of fluoride and arsenic exposure on children's intelligence and growth development.Methods The illness seriously and lightly affected areas in the coal-burning-borne arsenism and fluorosis areas in the south part of Shaanxi were selected as survey sites from 2011 to 2012,while the illness non-affected areas as controls.Children's IQ was tested,dental fluorosis and growth level of 8-12-year-old students in the school were investigated by random sampling,and the differences of children's IQ and the level of their growth among different groups were analyzed.Urine samples of the children were collected to determine the fluoride and the arsenic content.Results In the illness seriously affected,lightly affected and nonaffected areas,the medians of urinary fluoride of children were 1.96,0.81 and 0.54 mg/L,respectively; and the medians of their urinary arsenic were 0.023,0.019 and 0.018 mg/L,respectively.The average IQ levels were 101.22 + 15.97,104.83 ± 12.78 and 107,92 + 13.62,respectively.In illness seriously affected,lightly affected and non-affected areas,the differences of their height,weight,chest circumference and lung capacity between groups(x2 =36.549,25.859,28.021 and 45.627,all P ＜ 0.01) were significantly different.The height,weight,chest circumference and lung capacity of the children in illness seriously affected(136 cm,31 kg,64 cm,1 432 ml) and lightly affected areas (137 cm,30 kg,65 cm,1 433 ml) were all less than those of the illness non-affected areas (141 cm,34 kg,67 cm,1 660 ml,Z =-5.858,-4.151,-4.196,-4.500,-5.189,-3.240,-6.698 and -4.008,all P ＜ 0.01) ; lung capacity of children in illness seriously affected areas was less than that of the illness lightly affected areas (Z =-2.395,P ＜ 0.05).Their urinary fluoride and arsenic levels were negatively correlated with their IQ(r =-0.560,-0.353,all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Fluorine and arsenic exposure is not conducive to children's intellectual development and growth.We propose to strengthen the measure of changing stove furnace in order to provide a healthy growth environment for children.