Trace Elements in Medicine (Moscow)
2017, 18(3): 3–12
TOPICAL PAPER

SOCIOECONOMIC EFFECTS OF TOXIC METAL EXPOSURE ON PSYCHO-INTELLECTUAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

A.V. Skalny1,2,3, E.Yu. Astrakhantseva 4, M.G. Skalnaya1, A.L. Mazaletskaya3, A.A. Tinkov3,5

1 People’s Friendship University of Russian, Miklukho-Maklaya str. 6, Moscow, 117198, Russia
2 Trace element institute for UNESCO, Lyon, France 3 P.G. Demidov Yaroslavl State University, Sovetskaya str. 14, Yaroslavl, 150000, Russia
4 Ministry of agriculture of the Russian Federation, Orlikov Lane, 1/11, Moscow, 107139, Russia
5 Orenburg State Medical University, Orenburg, Russia Orenburg State Medical University, Sovetskaya str. 6, Orenburg, 460000, Russia

DOI: 10.19112/2413-6174-2017-18-3-3-12 

ABSTRACT. The objective of the present work was to review data on the impact of heavy metal exposure on in-tellectual disability and neuropsychic disturbances that require special education, as well as the economic costs of these services for the government. In particular, lead exposure is associated with intelligence quotient (IQ) loss, increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders, antisocial and aggressive behavior, pre-disposition to alcoholism, narcomania, and criminal activities. It has been estimated that a decrease of blood lead levels in children due to limitation of lead content in paintings (total costs - $1-11 billion), resulted in decreased expenses related to special education ($30-146 billion), ADHD ($267 billion), as well as reduced criminal activity ($1,7 billion). Excessive mercury exposure is also associated with IQ loss, decreased mental development, higher risk of ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, as well as elevated predisposition to violations. Thus, prevention of methylmercury overexposure resulted in preservation of 600 000 IQ points, corresponding to €8-9 billion economy annually only due to the reduced IQ loss. Chronic arsenic toxicity is associated with decreased IQ, memory, attention, motor function, development of ADHD, and these disturbances represent up to 1/5 of the total costs of arsenic exposure. Cadmium also induces lower IQ, impaired language skills, educability, attention, social behavior, increased distractibility and predisposition to violations. In turn, manganese toxicity is also associated with IQ loss, potentiates negative effects of lead and arsenic on intellectual abilities. Manganese exposure also causes impaired language abilities, memory, attention, motor functions, as well as development of ADHD and aggressive behavior, predisposes to alcoholism and violations. Monitoring and correction of chronic toxic metal exposure on individual and populational levels allows to reduce significantly expenses on educational services, increase efficiency of education and, therefore, the intellectual level of the population.

KEYWORDS: intelligence, mercury, cadmium, lead, economic loss.