ECOLOGICAL INTERFERENTS ON COGNITIVE EVALUATION OF METHYLMERCURY EXPOSED RIPARIAN CHILDREN: THE WEIGHT OF THE UNDERDEVELOPMENT.

Abstract

This work reviewed several studies concerning negative effects of environmental pollutants (especially methylmercury) on human cognitive status and intelligence. Thus, we discuss the important worldwide research on the relation between exposure and quantifiable neurological performance loss. Along the text, we selected some human health and environmental factors which are known to be associated to cognitive deficits (anemia, parasites, geographic isolation, malnutrition, unknown concomitant exposures, etc.) as well as the main psychometric tests used in classical studies (WISC-III, Human Figure Drawing, Boston Naming Test, etc.). We hope, through this discussion, to suggest researchers who study neurotoxicology to be alert to other ecological parameters during their research on environmental chemical pollutants when they are surveying non-urban populations of low socioeconomic level conditions and, especially those under geographic isolation.