Environmental Arsenic Contamination and Its Effect on Intelligence Quotient of School Children in a Historic Gold Mining Area Hutti, North Karnataka, India: A Pilot Study

CONTEXT: Arsenic is a rare crystal element that naturally occurs in all environmental media. A combination of regional and site-specific biogeochemical and hydrological factors governs its dispersion in the environment. It has far reaching consequences on human health. Exposure to arsenic in drinking water has been associated with a decline in intellectual function in children. AIM: The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between exposure to arsenic by drinking water and children's intelligence in Karnataka state, India. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Twenty school children of age 10–14 years from Sandur, Bellary, Karnataka, and from Hutti, Raichur, Karnataka, were categorized as control and study group, respectively. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Water samples were collected from both the villages for the analysis of arsenic and fluoride levels. Hair and nail samples were collected from the participants, and the arsenic levels were determined. Intelligence quotient (IQ) assessment was done using the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Chi-square test, Mann–Whitney U-test, and Fisher's exact test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in the arsenic content in the hair and nail samples of children in the study group. The mean IQ tests score in the control group and study group was 30.55 and 17.95, respectively, and this difference was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Chronic arsenic exposure could be a possible cause for the reduced IQ scores seen in children residing in Hutti, Raichur District, North Karnataka.