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.

中文翻译：

---

饮用水中砷暴露与智商的剂量反应荟萃分析

目标

通过饮用水接触无机砷对公众健康构成威胁。长期使用含砷水会导致多种皮肤病、高血压、皮肤癌。砷还会损害神经系统。大量研究研究了饮用水中砷对儿童智力水平的影响。

方法

为了我们的研究目的，我们在 2000 年至 2018 年 1 月期间搜索了三个电子数据库，包括 Scopus、Web of Science 和 Medline (PubMed) 英文版。我们通过应用随机效应模型使用剂量反应荟萃分析来估计水砷浓度与智力水平之间的综合关联（具有 95% 的不确定性）。

结果

使用两阶段随机效应模型研究砷浓度和智商量表之间的剂量反应关联，我们估计显着的线性关联为-0.08（95% CI：-0.14，-0.01）。实际上，砷浓度每增加一个单位（每升一微克），智商量表就会下降0.08%。

结论

考虑到饮用水中砷浓度与智商水平之间关系作为训练的重要因素的重要性，水资源中砷水平及其相关风险应降低。