Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China.
Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, And Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China.
Chemosphere. 2021 Apr;269:129380. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129380. Epub 2020 Dec 21.
As a neurotoxicant, lead (Pb) primarily affects central nervous system, and particularly impacts developing brain. This study explores the associations of blood Pb level and children's behavioral health. A total of 213 preschool children aged 3-7 years old were recruited from Guiyu (the e-waste-exposed area) and Haojiang (the reference area). The behavioral health of children was assessed using the 'behavioral symptoms' subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results showed that there was a significant difference in percent of children categorized as "at risk" between Guiyu (48.2%) and Haojiang (13.9%) (p < 0.001). The blood Pb level of children in Guiyu was significantly higher than those in Haojiang (median: 5.19 μg/dL vs. 3.42 μg/dL, p < 0.001). The serum Neuropeptide Y (NPY) was significantly lower in Guiyu children than those in Haojiang. Spearman correlation analyses demonstrated that blood Pb levels was negatively correlated with NPY (r = -0.25, p < 0.001), but positively correlated with behavioral symptom scores; while serum NPY levels were negatively associated with behavioral symptom scores. Behavioral symptom scores were higher in children with blood Pb level ≥5.00 μg/dL (high) than those with blood Pb level < 5.00 μg/dL (low). After adjusting for confounding factors, children with lower NPY levels were at higher risk of having behavioral difficulties. In conclusion, Pb exposure in e-waste-exposed areas may lead to decrease in serum NPY and increase in the risk of children's behavioral problems. In addition, NPY may mediate the association between Pb exposure and behavioral difficulties.
作为一种神经毒物，铅（Pb）主要影响中枢神经系统，尤其对发育中的大脑有影响。本研究探讨了血铅水平与儿童行为健康之间的关系。共招募了 213 名来自贵屿（电子废物暴露区）和濠江（对照区）的 3-7 岁学龄前儿童。采用《长处和困难问卷》（SDQ）的“行为症状”分量表评估儿童的行为健康。结果显示，贵屿（48.2%）和濠江（13.9%）儿童中“有风险”的比例存在显著差异（p<0.001）。贵屿儿童的血铅水平明显高于濠江儿童（中位数：5.19μg/dL 比 3.42μg/dL，p<0.001）。贵屿儿童的血清神经肽 Y（NPY）明显低于濠江儿童。Spearman 相关分析表明，血铅水平与 NPY 呈负相关（r=-0.25，p<0.001），与行为症状评分呈正相关；而血清 NPY 水平与行为症状评分呈负相关。血铅水平≥5.00μg/dL（高）的儿童的行为症状评分高于血铅水平<5.00μg/dL（低）的儿童。调整混杂因素后，NPY 水平较低的儿童发生行为困难的风险更高。综上所述，电子废物暴露区的 Pb 暴露可能导致血清 NPY 降低，儿童行为问题的风险增加。此外，NPY 可能介导 Pb 暴露与行为困难之间的关联。
