Background: Manganese neurotoxicity is well documented in individuals occupationally exposed to airborne particulates, but few data are available on risks from drinking-water exposure.
Objective: We examined associations of exposure from concentrations of manganese in water and hair with memory, attention, motor function, and parent- and teacher-reported hyperactive behaviors.
Methods: We recruited 375 children and measured manganese in home tap water (MnW) and hair (MnH). We estimated manganese intake from water ingestion. Using structural equation modeling, we estimated associations between neurobehavioral functions and MnH, MnW, and manganese intake from water. We evaluated exposure–response relationships using generalized additive models.
Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, a 1-SD increase in log10 MnH was associated with a significant difference of –24% (95% CI: –36, –12%) SD in memory and –25% (95% CI: –41, –9%) SD in attention. The relations between log10 MnH and poorer memory and attention were linear. A 1-SD increase in log10 MnW was associated with a significant difference of –14% (95% CI: –24, –4%) SD in memory, and this relation was nonlinear, with a steeper decline in performance at MnW > 100 μg/L. A 1-SD increase in log10 manganese intake from water was associated with a significant difference of –11% (95% CI: –21, –0.4%) SD in motor function. The relation between log10 manganese intake and poorer motor function was linear. There was no significant association between manganese exposure and hyperactivity.
Conclusion: Exposure to manganese in water was associated with poorer neurobehavioral performances in children, even at low levels commonly encountered in North America.
1Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; 2CHU Sainte-Justine Mother and Child University Hospital Research Center, Montréal, Québec, Canada; 3Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Biology, Health, Society and Environment (CINBIOSE), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; 4Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; 5Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; 6Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; 7Department of Family Medicine, Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; 8Department of Chemistry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
Recommended Citation:
Youssef Oulhote,1,2 Donna Mergler,et al. Neurobehavioral Function in School-Age Children Exposed to Manganese in Drinking Water[J]. Environmental Health Perspectives,2014-01-01,Volume 122(Issue 12):1343