WELLINGTON, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- A long-term study in New Zealand found that lead exposure during childhood is linked to lifelong mental health problems, researchers said on Thursday.
The study followed participants for 30 years and found childhood lead exposure was linked with lower IQ, high rates of behavior problems, hyperactivity and antisocial behavior.
The study, which was conducted by the Otago University in New Zealand's Dunedin and Duke University in the United States, included nearly 600 children in New Zealand who had their blood lead levels measured at the age of 11 and their mental health assessed periodically through the age of 38.
Researchers found higher childhood blood lead levels were associated with more mental health problems throughout life and difficult adult personality traits such as being more neurotic, less agreeable and less conscientious.
Dunedin Study director Richie Poulton said childhood lead exposure may have long-term consequences for adult mental health and personality. However, this was an observational study and it does not allow for a cause-and-effect interpretation of the association between lead and the tested outcomes.
