Disparities in arsenic exposure among children and adolescents in the United States
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Gerald Blaney
Abstract
Chronic arsenic exposure in developing children is associated with cognitive delays, reduced IQ, poor memory, and a range of negative health outcomes later in life. In this study, we examined demographic and socioeconomic disparities in arsenic exposure among children and adolescents in the U.S. Subjects aged 6–19 years were selected from the 2005–2006 and 2007–2008 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Exposure to arsenic was determined based on the urinary concentrations of total arsenic (tAs) and speciated arsenic. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed using SAS 9.3 to assess the association of demographic and socioeconomic variables with arsenic exposure. A statistically significant increase in urinary levels of tAs and dimethylarsinic acid was found in both African-American children and other races, as compared with Whites, as well as in those who recently consumed fish and shellfish. The racial disparity in arsenic exposure observed in this study may be related to genetic factors governing arsenic metabolism and excretion patterns in urine, as well as to socioeconomic status, dietary options, or residential proximity to industry. Further studies are needed to identify factors that contribute to such racial disparities in arsenic exposure.
We would like to thank the Southeast Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (SE PEHSU) at Emory University for the opportunity to participate in the 7th iteration of Break the Cycle of Children’s Environmental Health Disparities. Particularly, we wish to thank Dr. Leslie Rubin, Dr. Robert Geller, and Janice Nodvin. We would also like to thank the other Break the Cycle participants for their input.
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©2013 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston
Artikel in diesem Heft
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Artikel in diesem Heft
- Masthead
- Masthead
- Editorial
- Break the cycle of environmental health disparities in vulnerable children
- Reviews
- Effectiveness of foreign food aid initiatives at addressing child malnutrition and the future of United States food aid policy
- Interventions to improve access to fresh food in vulnerable communities: a review of the literature
- Original Articles
- Disparities in arsenic exposure among children and adolescents in the United States
- The use of home-based caregiver assessment to improve children’s health: a pilot project
- There’s a hole in the bucket: rethinking the role of community collected data in environmental justice movements
- Multilevel analysis of small area violent crime and preterm birth in a racially diverse urban area
- Cyclopedia: sustaining a positive youth development program through community partnership
- Traffic-related air pollution and pediatric asthma in Durham County, North Carolina
- Breaking the cycle through better school siting: a collaborative project to facilitate the effective use of EPA’s guidelines with Georgia’s educational leaders
