ARSENIC CONTAMINATION - ENVIRONMENT
News: Even limited arsenic exposure mars cognitive function
What is in the news?
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A recent peer-reviewed
study suggests that even low levels of arsenic consumption may impact cognitive
function in children, adolescents, and young adults.
Key takeaways from the
study:
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The research, which is
part of a bigger investigation into how a range of environmental and biological
factors affect neurological and cognitive development in young people.
Brain Tissue Affection:
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Those exposed to arsenic
had reduced grey matter (brain tissue
that is vital to cognitive functions) and weaker connections within key
regions of the brain that enable concentration, switching between tasks, and
temporary storage of information.
Silent Pandemic:
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Chronic exposure to
arsenic could be creating a ‘silent
pandemic’ affecting large portions of the global population.
Poor affected most:
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This study reinforced the
fact that the economic and nutritionally poor face greater cognitive impairment
from arsenic exposure.
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The deficits in cognitive
tasks could point to adverse consequences at a population level, contributing
to an overall increase in school
failures, diminished economic productivity, and increased risk of criminal and
antisocial behavior.
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C- VEDA: ● C-Veda
(Consortium on Vulnerability to Externalizing Disorders and Addictions) is an
India-United Kingdom research initiative, spanning several universities. ● It aims
to evaluate the effect of risk, whether biological and environmental, on
cognitive development and also compare these effects across people in
industrializing (India) and industrialized (United Kingdom) societies. ● This
also includes mapping the brains of those participating in the study and
thereby evaluating and comparing neurological development. |
Regions affected most:
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Exposure to arsenic in
food is a significant contributor to arsenic exposure in several parts of
India, including West Bengal, Jharkhand,
Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and Manipur, where high levels of background
arsenic have been detected.
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Arsenic intake from food
was most commonly correlated with rice
intake, which is more commonly consumed in south India where the highest mean
arsenic levels were observed.
Solutions to address
Arsenic contamination: