246288 Airborne manganese exposure and postural balance in children

Tuesday, November 1, 2011: 1:35 PM

Fedoria Rugless, BS, PhD Candidate , Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Erin Haynes, DrPH , Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Amit Bhattacharya, PhD, CPE , Department of Environmental Health College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Paul Succop, PhD , Environmental Health, The University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Kim Dietrich, PhD , Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
     
Manganese (Mn) is an essential nutrient needed for normal development, yet in excess it can result in neuromotor deficits similar to Parkinson's disease. Marietta, Ohio is home to a ferromanganese refinery potentially exposing the residents to high levels of airborne Mn. A cross-sectional study was conducted on children ages 7-9 years (n=91) from Marietta, and a low Mn exposed community in Cambridge, Ohio. Air monitoring stations (PM2.5) were placed in a central location in Marietta and Cambridge during the testing period. The average air Mn concentration over a 2 year-period in Marietta was 17.44ng/m3 (14.13-20.76 ng/m3), compared to Cambridge (measured seasonally for 2 years) at 4.22ng/m3 (3.76-4.68 ng/m3). Samples of blood and hair were collected and analyzed for Mn concentration. Neuromotor performance was assessed using postural balance (sway) testing with a force platform system. An increase in sway length and area is an indicator of poor postural balance. It was hypothesized that the children from Marietta would have increased postural imbalance, compared to the children from Cambridge. Statistical analyses were conducted to evaluate sway length and area compared to subject location and biological Mn concentration. A significant association was found between blood and hair Mn concentrations and postural sway length (p=0.04) and sway area (p=0.04). Participants from Marietta showed increased postural sway length (p=0.10) and sway area (p<0.06), in comparison to subjects from Cambridge. Thus, Mn exposure at a level less than half the EPA reference concentration (50.00ng/m3) is significantly associated with deficits in neuromotor performance.

Learning Areas:
Environmental health sciences
Epidemiology

Learning Objectives:
1.Describe the technique of postural balance testing as a useful indicator of neuromotor deficits. 2.Discuss the magnitude of neuromotor effects of excess air Mn exposure at air concentrations that are less than the allowed reference concentration. 3.Demonstrate effective partnership techniques in establishing a community-based participatory research study.

Keywords: Environmental Exposures, Community-Based Partnership

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: of my environmental health and epidemiology background; my active role in the research conducted; and being the sole graduate student on the research study to help develop and design the study, along with all of the data collection and analysis of the information obtained.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Environmental Epidemiology
See more of: Epidemiology