title: Decline of General Intelligence in Children Exposed to Manganese from Mining Contamination in Puyango River Basin, Southern Ecuador.
abstract: Based on ecosystem approaches to health (Ecohealth), this study sought to identify neurobehavioral disorders in children exposed to several levels of toxic metal pollution from gold mining in the Puyango River Basin, Southern Ecuador. Ninety-three children born or living in the study area participated in the study. A neurobehavioral test battery consisting of 12 tests assessing various functions of the nervous system was applied as well as a questionnaire regarding events of exposure of children's mothers to contaminants during perinatal period. Hair samples were taken from children to determine manganese concentrations. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied in order to examine possible relationships between exposure events, hair manganese, and neurobehavioral disorders. Having controlled co-variables such as age and educational level, it was found that children with elevated levels of hair manganese (over 2 μg/g) had poor performance in the test of general intelligence (Raven's Progressive Color Matrices Scale PCM). The Ecohealth approach helped to identify that children in the lower Puyango Basin with very elevated levels of manganese in the river water (970 µg/L) are the ones who have the highest levels of hair manganese and the worst performance in the intelligence test.
authors: Health Environment and Development Foundation (FUNSAD), Roca E6-06 and Juan León Mera, P.O.Box 17079382, Quito, Ecuador. oscarbet@andinanet.net.
authors: Óscar
authors: Ó
authors: Betancourt
authors: Health Environment and Development Foundation (FUNSAD), Roca E6-06 and Juan León Mera, P.O.Box 17079382, Quito, Ecuador.
authors: Marlene
authors: M
authors: Tapia
authors: National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico.
authors: Ignacio
authors: I
authors: Méndez
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004484:Ecuador; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008345:Manganese / Q000633:toxicity*; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D008906:Mining; D011580:Psychological Techniques; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008345:Manganese
keywords: children; environmental exposure; mining; neurobehavioral test battery; raven test