Dose-response meta-analysis of arsenic exposure in drinking water and intelligence quotient.

OBJECTIVES: Exposure to inorganic arsenic through drinking water is a threat for public health. Using the arsenic-containing water in the long-term causes a variety of skin diseases, high blood pressure, and skin cancer. Arsenic also damages the nervous system. A wide range of studies have studied the effect of arsenic in drinking water on the level of intelligence in children.
METHODS: For the purpose of our research, we searched three electronic databases including Scopus, Web of Science, and Medline (PubMed) in English from 2000 to January 2018. We used the dose-response meta-analysis through applying random effect models in order to estimate the pooled association (with a 95% uncertainty) between water arsenic concentration and intelligence level.
RESULTS: Using a two-stage random effect model to investigate the dose-response association between arsenic concentration and Intelligence Quotient scale, we estimated a significant linear association as -0.08 (95% CI: -0.14, -0.01). Actually, for each unit increase in arsenic concentration (one microgram per liter), intelligence quotient scale decreases by 0.08%.
CONCLUSIONS: Considering the significance of the relationship between arsenic concentration in drinking water and the level of intelligence quotient as an important factor in training, the level of arsenic and its associated risks should be decreased in water resources. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020.