study of the effect of low-level environmental lead exposure on the intellectual functions of children of El Minia city, El Minia governorate, Egypt

ABSTRACT

Lead [Pb] is a confirmed neurotoxin. Clear adverse effects of blood Pb level [BLL] >/= 10 micro g/dl have been documented in children, but questions remain about Pb-associated intellectual disorders at these BLL and whether lower exposures are associated with great disorders. The study aim to study the intellectual functions associated with environmental low-level Pb exposure in children of the villages of the east coast of the River Nile of El-Minia city that located nearby El-Minia industrial area. This study was conducted at Suzan Mubarak Hospital, El-Minia University during the period from 1st August, 2008 to the 31st of July, 2010. It included 120 children aged 7-9 years from the nearest 2 villages to El-Minia industrial area [60 children each] namely, El-Newayrat and Al-Shorafaa, and 60 children from Talla, a village located to the west of El-Minia city far away from El-Minia industrial area, as a control group. For all patients, BLL had been estimated, and intellectual functions have been evaluated using Wechsler's Intelligence Scale for Children, 3[rd] ed. BLL of children of El-Newayrat and Al-Shorafaa were significantly increased when compared to that of TalIa children with higher affection reported with El-Newayrat. The outcome of Wechsler's Intelligence Scale revealed a significant reduction of verbal, performance and full scale IQs in El-Newayrat and Al-Shorafaa when compared to Talla with higher affection reported with El-Newayrat, with a strong negative correlation to BLL of 5-10 micro g/dl. It could not be estimated that every 1 micro g/dl increase in BLL was accompanied by a fixed lowered score. There was no statistically significant difference between males and females regarding the BLL and Wechsler's Intelligence Scale scores. Low-level Pb exposure in children of the villages of the east coast of the River Nile of El-Minia city that is located nearby El Minia industrial area was accompanied with intellectual function impairment which is reported to be nonlinear relationship between BLL and intellectual functions impairment. It is advised to perform a national study to evaluate how big the problem is and to put Pb-toxicity in the list of the national health problems