Skip to main content
British Journal of Preventive & Social Medicine logoLink to British Journal of Preventive & Social Medicine
. 1976 Mar;30(1):36–39. doi: 10.1136/jech.30.1.36

Trace elements in water and congenital malformations of the central nervous system in South Wales.

M S Morton, P C Elwood, M Abernethy
PMCID: PMC478936  PMID: 949571

Abstract

The concentrations of 20 trace elements were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry on representative samples of tap-water collected from 48 local authority areas in South Wales. The associations between twelve trace elements and central nervous system (CNS) malformation rates for the 48 areas were examined. Significant correlations for four trace elements were observed. Of these, Al was positively correlated while for the remaining three-Ca, Ba, and Cu-negative associations were found. Regression analysis of the data suggested that the relationships between Ba and Cu with CNS malformation rates were improtant than those of Al and Ca.

Full text

PDF
36

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Chernoff N. Teratogenic effects of cadmium in rats. Teratology. 1973 Aug;8(1):29–32. doi: 10.1002/tera.1420080105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Crawford M. D., Gardner M. J., Morris J. N. Mortality and hardness of local water-supplies. Lancet. 1968 Apr 20;1(7547):827–831. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(68)90297-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. EDWARDS J. H. Congenital malformations of the central nervous system in Scotland. Br J Prev Soc Med. 1958 Jul;12(3):115–130. doi: 10.1136/jech.12.3.115. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Elwood J. H. Anencephalus in the British Isles. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1970 Oct;12(5):582–591. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1970.tb01966.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Elwood P. C., Abernethy M., Morton M. Mortality in adults and trace elements in water. Lancet. 1974 Dec 21;2(7895):1470–1472. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(74)90215-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fedrick J. Anencephalus and the local water supply. Nature. 1970 Jul 11;227(5254):176–177. doi: 10.1038/227176a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Ferm V. H., Carpenter S. J. Developmental malformations resulting from the administration of lead salts. Exp Mol Pathol. 1967 Oct;7(2):208–213. doi: 10.1016/0014-4800(67)90030-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fielding D. W., Smithells R. W. Anencephalus and water hardness in south-west Lancashire. Br J Prev Soc Med. 1971 Nov;25(4):217–219. doi: 10.1136/jech.25.4.217. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Laurence K. M., Carter C. O., David P. A. Major central nervous system malformations in South Wales. I. Incidence, local variations and geographical factors. Br J Prev Soc Med. 1968 Jul;22(3):146–160. doi: 10.1136/jech.22.3.146. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lowe C. R., Roberts C. J., Lloyd S. Malformations of central nervous system and softness of local water supplies. Br Med J. 1971 May 15;2(5758):357–361. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5758.357. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. PENROSE L. S. Genetics of anencephaly. J Ment Defic Res. 1957 Jul;1(1):4–15. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.1957.tb00276.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Richards I. D., Roberts C. J., Lloyd S. Area differences in prevalence of neural tube malformations in South Wales. A study of possible demographic determinants. Br J Prev Soc Med. 1972 May;26(2):89–93. doi: 10.1136/jech.26.2.89. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Roberts C. J., Lloyd S. Association between mortality from ischaemic heart-disease and rainfall in South Wales and in the county boroughs of England and Wales. Lancet. 1972 May 20;1(7760):1091–1093. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(72)91429-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Rogers S. C. Epidemilogy of stillbirths from congenital abnormalities in England and Wales, 1961-1966. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1969 Oct;11(5):617–629. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1969.tb01492.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Stocks P. Incidence of congenital malformations in the regions of England and Wales. Br J Prev Soc Med. 1970 May;24(2):67–77. doi: 10.1136/jech.24.2.67. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Warkany J., Petering H. G. Congenital malformations of the central nervous system in rats produced by maternal zinc deficiency. Teratology. 1972 Jun;5(3):319–334. doi: 10.1002/tera.1420050307. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Wilson T. S., Watson R. S., Richards I. D. Anencephaly and water supply--a study of the problem in Glasgow. Health Bull (Edinb) 1973 Mar;31(2):76–78. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British journal of preventive & social medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES