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Associations of Metals and Neurodevelopment: a Review of Recent Evidence on Susceptibility Factors

  • Environmental Epidemiology (F Laden and J Hart, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Epidemiologic evidence exists that many metals are associated with adverse neurobehavioral effects in young children, including lead (Pb), methylmercury (meHg), manganese (Mn), and arsenic (As) (Antunes dos Santos et al. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 38:99–107; Tolins et al. Ann Glob Health. 80(4):303–14; Vollet et al. Curr Environ Health Rep. 3(4):392–404; Bellinger Curr Opin Pediatr. 20(2):172–7). Importantly, chemical insult can vary depending on host factors and exposure circumstance. This systematic review summarizes the recent literature investigating modifying factors of the associations between metals and neurodevelopment, including immutable traits (sex or genetics) or exposure conditions (timing or co-exposures).

Recent Findings

Of the 53 studies included in this review, the number investigating the modification of exposure effects was as follows: 30 for sex, 21 for co-exposures, 12 for timing of exposure, and six for genetic modifiers. Sex-specific effects of metal-neurobehavioral associations were inconclusive for all metals, likely due to the heterogeneity of outcome domains assessed and the exposure time points measured. Seven studies evaluated both sex and exposure timing as modifying factors using deciduous teeth or other biomarkers with repeated measures to characterize metals exposure over time. Only five studies used statistical methods for mixtures to evaluate associations of more than two metals with neurobehavioral domains.

Summary

Despite the expansion of research on susceptibility to the neurodevelopmental effects of metals exposure, considerable gaps remain. This work remains critical, as characterizing susceptible subpopulations can aid in identifying biological mechanisms and is fundamental for the protection of public health.

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Funding

The research described in this paper was funded in part by NIEHS grants: F31ES029010, T32ES014562, R00 ES022986, and K99 ES030400.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Julia A. Bauer, Roberta F. White & Birgit Claus Henn

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, 1 Medical Center Dr., Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA

    Julia A. Bauer & Caitlin G. Howe

  3. Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Victoria Fruh

  4. Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Caitlin G. Howe

  5. Department of Neurology, Boston University Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Roberta F. White

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  1. Julia A. Bauer
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Correspondence to Julia A. Bauer.

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Bauer, J.A., Fruh, V., Howe, C.G. et al. Associations of Metals and Neurodevelopment: a Review of Recent Evidence on Susceptibility Factors. Curr Epidemiol Rep 7, 237–262 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40471-020-00249-y

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