Prenatal arsenic exposure, arsenic metabolism and neurocognitive development of 2-year-old children in low-arsenic areas

Abstract

Background: There is limited evidence on the effects of arsenic species and metabolic capacity on child neurodevelopment, particularly at low levels. Further, little is known about the critical window of exposure.

Objective: To estimate the associations of arsenic exposure and arsenic metabolism in different pregnancy periods with neurodevelopment of two-year-old children.

Methods: Concentrations of arsenobetaine (AsB), arsenite, arsenate, monomethyl arsenic acid (MMA), and dimethyl arsenic acid (DMA) in urine samples collected in three trimesters from 1006 mothers were measured using HPLC - ICPMS. Inorganic arsenic (iAs) was calculated as the sum of arsenite and arsenate. Total arsenic (tAs) was calculated as the sum of iAs, MMA and DMA. Child neurodevelopment was assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development.

Results: The geometric mean (GM) of SG-adjusted tAs in the first, second, third trimester was 16.37, 12.94, 13.04 μg/L, respectively. The mental development index (MDI) score was inversely associated with iAs and tAs. Compared to the 1st quartile, the MDI score decreased 0.43 (95%CI: -4.22, 3.36) for the 2nd, 6.50 (95%CI: -11.73, -1.27) for the 3rd, 5.42 (95%CI: -10.74, -0.10) for the 4th quartiles of iAs, and decreased 4.03 (95%CI: -7.90, -0.15) in the 4th quartile of tAs. In trimester-specific models, negative associations of DMA [-1.94 (95%CI: -3.18, -0.71)] and tAs [-1.61 (95%CI: -3.02, -0.20)] with the psychomotor development index (PDI) were only observed in 1st trimester.

Conclusions: Our study found inverse associations between prenatal arsenic exposure, especially in early pregnancy, and neurodevelopment of children at two years old, even at low exposure levels.

Keywords: Arsenic metabolism; Arsenic species; Critical window; Neurocognitive development; Prenatal exposure.