The time variable plays an important role in neurotoxicity, both in terms of exposure duration and the period of life when it occurs. Prevention and the standards necessary to achieve it are needed to avoid health effects due to lifetime exposure. Risk assessment is a fundamental requirement for risk management selleck products and related preventive policies. Therefore, the relationship between exposure and effects should consider

measures of cumulative exposure, to integrate both the historical exposure and the exposure to mixed agents, and the related cumulative effects. Examples and suggestions of different metrics for lifetime and cumulative exposure are illustrated in this paper, which reflects a summary of the key note lecture presented at the 10th International Symposium on Neurobehavioral Methods and Effects in Occupational Hydroxylase inhibitor and Environmental Health of the International Commission on Occupational Health. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“The aim of this study was to assess the value of the children’s version of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test as a screening test in a population exposed to different mixtures of neurotoxicants. Copy and Immediate Recall scores were evaluated through the test. Children

were recruited from three sites; an area with natural contamination by fluoride and arsenic (F-As), a mining-metallurgical area with lead and arsenic contamination (Pb-As) and a malaria zone Obatoclax Mesylate (GX15-070) with the evidence of fish contaminated with dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Children aged 6-11 years old, living in one of the three

polluted sites since birth were recruited (n = 166). The exposure was evaluated as follows: fluoride and arsenic in urine, lead in blood and DDT, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and PCBs in serum. To evaluate the test performance, z-scores for Copy and Immediate Recall were calculated. The proportion of children by residence area with performance lower than expected by age (below -1 SD) for Copy and Immediate Recall was in the F-As area (88.7% and 59%) and in the DDT-PCBs area (73% and 43.8%), respectively. In the Pb-As area, the proportion was 62% for both tests. After adjustment, Copy correlated inversely with fluoride in urine (r = -0.29; p < 0.001) and Immediate Recall correlated inversely with fluoride in urine (r=-0.27; p<0.05), lead in blood (r = -0.72; p < 0.01), arsenic in urine (r = -0.63; p < 0.05) and DDE (r = -0.25; p < 0.05). This study provided evidence that children included in this research are living in high risk areas and were exposed to neurotoxicants. Poor performance in the test could be explained in some way by F, Pb, As or DDE exposure, however social factors or the low quality of school education prevalent in the areas could be playing an important role. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.