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DeSwiss

(27,137 posts)
Wed Apr 23, 2014, 03:47 PM Apr 2014

U.S. Schoolchildren Exposed to Arsenic in Well Water Have Lower IQ Scores

In Maine study, rates of contamination exceed WHO and EPA guidelines

Columbia University
Mainman School of Public Health
Stephanie Berger
212-305-4372
Email sb2247@columbia.edu

April 7, 2014—A study by researchers at Columbia University reports that schoolchildren from three school districts in Maine exposed to arsenic in drinking water experienced declines in child intelligence. While earlier studies conducted by the researchers in South Asia, and Bangladesh in particular, showed that exposure to arsenic in drinking water is negatively associated with child intelligence, this is the first study to examine intelligence against individual water arsenic exposures in the U.S. Findings are reported online in the journal, Environmental Health.

The research team, led by Joseph Graziano, PhD, professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, assessed 272 children in grades 3–5, who were, on average, 10 years old, from three school districts in Maine where household wells are the predominant source for drinking water and cooking. The Augusta area in particular was studied because of earlier research indicating higher than normal exposures.

Using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV), the most often used assessment tool for measuring intelligence in children ages 6 to 16, the researchers found that arsenic in household water was associated with decreased scores on most WISC-IV indices. After adjusting for maternal IQ and education, characteristics of the home environment, school district, and number of siblings, the children who were exposed to greater than 5 parts arsenic per billion of household well water (WAs ? 5 ?g/L) showed reductions in Full Scale, Working Memory, Perceptual Reasoning and Verbal Comprehension scores, losses of 5–6 points, considered a significant decline, that may translate to problems in school, according to Gail Wasserman, PhD, professor of Medical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia, and the study’s first author.

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- Monsanto, Dupont and Con-Agri giveth, and Obamacare taketh away. Except in states with Republicans in-charge........
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U.S. Schoolchildren Exposed to Arsenic in Well Water Have Lower IQ Scores (Original Post) DeSwiss Apr 2014 OP
Guess it is time to raise the acceptable levels, easy fix. nt Mnemosyne Apr 2014 #1
That's exactly how Japan does it with radiation. DeSwiss Apr 2014 #2
They grew up with godzilla. Jesus Malverde Apr 2014 #5
I remember. Didn't the EPA attempt this too? Never ends, does it? nt Mnemosyne Apr 2014 #8
Yup. Igel Apr 2014 #3
No, but it wouldn't hurt to filter it. DeSwiss Apr 2014 #7
bump... nt Jesus Malverde Apr 2014 #4
We all know that's not true. Starry Messenger Apr 2014 #6
 

DeSwiss

(27,137 posts)
2. That's exactly how Japan does it with radiation.
Wed Apr 23, 2014, 04:30 PM
Apr 2014
- By 2020 it will become the first self-illuminating Olympics. Of course all field events will be carried out in radiation suits and spectators must don respirators for protection from all the plutonium particles all that running is bound to kick up.

Igel

(35,197 posts)
3. Yup.
Wed Apr 23, 2014, 08:26 PM
Apr 2014

It's a problem. Do you ban household wells?

(NB: Groundwater frequently has higher than acceptable levels of As. It's a naturally occurring element, and, well, naturally occurs.)

 

DeSwiss

(27,137 posts)
7. No, but it wouldn't hurt to filter it.
Wed Apr 23, 2014, 11:45 PM
Apr 2014

At least the water you drink and cook with. That's what I do now and I realize it ain't exactly cheap, especially when you consider that most of us thought we were already paying for clean water. But any household that intends to use a natural water source must take precautions given the deadly antibiotic-immune pathogens out there and the chemicals that we're inclined toward dumping into our own living spaces. Not to mention the pharmaceuticals and other unintended chemicals we consume daily from our ''safe'' drinking water supply from the city.

The Big Berkey is the one I got. It does more than just filter, it is classified as a water purification system because its standards exceeds the requirement of the EPA. There are other good quality water filtration systems out there, but the Berkey's have been at it a pretty long time and have a good rep. And I know they have superior quality equipment. There are also ''whole-house'' water filtration systems that operate under pressure, but they're definitely expensive and high-maintenance.





(I have no interest in this product nor the company beyond my experience in using their water filters).

Starry Messenger

(32,342 posts)
6. We all know that's not true.
Wed Apr 23, 2014, 10:19 PM
Apr 2014

It's the evil teachers unions. If only we were more committed to children, we'd get right down to solving that problem and the test scores would go up by magic.

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