TY - JOUR
T1 - Low-level groundwater arsenic exposure impacts cognition
T2 - A project FRONTIER study
AU - Gong, Gordon
AU - Hargrave, Kristopher A.
AU - Hobson, Valerie
AU - Spallholz, Julian
AU - Boylan, Mallory
AU - Lefforge, David
AU - O'Bryant, Sid E.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2012 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2011/9
Y1 - 2011/9
N2 - Arsenic is a ubiquitous environmental toxin with known neurological consequences. Few studies, however, have investigated groundwater arsenic concentrations and cognition among adults and elders. In the study described in this article, the authors examined the potential link between cognitive functioning and low concentrations of arsenic in drinking water. Arsenic concentrations were estimated by the Geographic Information System approach (GIS-arsenic) for 299 rural-dwelling adults and elders. Cognition was assessed with Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Those in the relatively high GIS-arsenic exposure (>10.0 μg/L) group had significantly lower MMSE scores than those in the low GIS-arsenic exposure (≤10.0 μg/L) group (p < .03). The number of years of education was significantly lower in those in the high GIS-arsenic group(s) than in those in the low GIS-arsenic group (p < .05). These results suggest that poorer cognitive functioning and lower education levels were associated with higher (though still low-level) GIS-arsenic levels in this rural adult cohort.
AB - Arsenic is a ubiquitous environmental toxin with known neurological consequences. Few studies, however, have investigated groundwater arsenic concentrations and cognition among adults and elders. In the study described in this article, the authors examined the potential link between cognitive functioning and low concentrations of arsenic in drinking water. Arsenic concentrations were estimated by the Geographic Information System approach (GIS-arsenic) for 299 rural-dwelling adults and elders. Cognition was assessed with Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Those in the relatively high GIS-arsenic exposure (>10.0 μg/L) group had significantly lower MMSE scores than those in the low GIS-arsenic exposure (≤10.0 μg/L) group (p < .03). The number of years of education was significantly lower in those in the high GIS-arsenic group(s) than in those in the low GIS-arsenic group (p < .05). These results suggest that poorer cognitive functioning and lower education levels were associated with higher (though still low-level) GIS-arsenic levels in this rural adult cohort.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80052711268&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 21949980
AN - SCOPUS:80052711268
VL - 74
SP - 16
EP - 22
JO - Journal of Environmental Health
JF - Journal of Environmental Health
SN - 0022-0892
IS - 2
ER -