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

Lead (Pb) is a confirmed neurotoxin. Clear adverse effects of blood Pb level (BLL) e” 10 ìg/dl have been documented in children, but questions remain about Pb-associated intellectual disorders at these BLL and whether lower exposures are associated with greater disorders.

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 1^th August, 2007 to the 31^st of July, 2009. It included 120 children aged 7–9 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 has 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 Talla 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 ìg/dl. It could not be estimated that every 1 ìg/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 in El-Minia city that located nearby El-Minia industrial area was accompanied with intellectual function impairment which is not associated with sex and reported to be nonlinear relationship. It is advised to perform a national study to evaluate how big is the problem and to put Pb-toxicity in the list of the national health problems.