Association of Prenatal and Childhood Blood Lead Concentrations with Criminal Arrests in Early Adulthood

Wright, John Paul; Dietrich, Kim N.; Ris, M. Douglas; Hornung, Richard; Wessel, Stephanie D.; Lanphear, Bruce P.; Ho, Mona; Rae, Mary N.

doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050101

Cited by 358 publications

(266 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…From a prospective viewpoint, high lead levels in the mother during the first and second trimester of pregnancy are associated with increased risk for arrest for violent crimes in adulthood 24 . High dentine lead levels assessed at ages 6-9 years have been associated with increased violent offending at ages 14-21 years, with poorer cognitive functioning mediating this relationship 25 .…”

Section: Prenatal and Perinatal Influencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…High dentine lead levels assessed at ages 6-9 years have been associated with increased violent offending at ages 14-21 years, with poorer cognitive functioning mediating this relationship 25 . Some studies have carefully controlled for potential confounds such as poverty, maternal smoking, alcohol use, and drug use, and have shown that these findings apply to women as well as men 24,25 . Higher manganese levels in the mother during pregnancy have also been associated with increased externalizing behavior problems (aggressive, destructive, defiant) at age 8-9 years 26 .…”

Section: Prenatal and Perinatal Influencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Neurocriminology: implications for the punishment, prediction and prevention of criminal behaviour

2013

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Criminal behaviour and violence are increasingly viewed as worldwide public health problems. A growing body of knowledge shows that criminal behaviour has a neurobiological basis, and this has intensified judicial interest in the potential application of neuroscience to criminal law. It also gives rise to important questions. What are the implications of such application for predicting future criminal behaviour and protecting society? Can it be used to prevent violence? And what are the implications for the way offenders are punished?

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Section: Prenatal and Perinatal Influencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Prenatal and Perinatal Influencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurocriminology: implications for the punishment, prediction and prevention of criminal behaviour

2013

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“…Lead quantities formerly regarded as trivial are associated with permanent cognitive damage in children [3], including those prenatally exposed [4]. Lead is associated with impaired motor function [5], attentional dysfunction [6], and even criminal behavior [7,8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lead Bullet Fragments in Venison from Rifle-killed Deer: Potential for Human Dietary Exposure

Hunt¹

2009

Ingestion of Lead From Spent Ammunition: Implications for Wildlife and Humans

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Human consumers of wildlife killed with lead ammunition may be exposed to health risks associated with lead ingestion. This hypothesis is based on published studies showing elevated blood lead concentrations in subsistence hunter populations, retention of ammunition residues in the tissues of hunter-killed animals, and systemic, cognitive, and behavioral disorders associated with human lead body burdens once considered safe. Our objective was to determine the incidence and bioavailability of lead bullet fragments in hunter-killed venison, a widely-eaten food among hunters and their families. We radiographed 30 eviscerated carcasses of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) shot by hunters with standard lead-core, copper-jacketed bullets under normal hunting conditions. All carcasses showed metal fragments (geometric mean = 136 fragments, range = 15-409) and widespread fragment dispersion. We took each carcass to a separate meat processor and fluoroscopically scanned the resulting meat packages; fluoroscopy revealed metal fragments in the ground meat packages of 24 (80%) of the 30 deer; 32% of 234 ground meat packages contained at least one fragment. Fragments were identified as lead by ICP in 93% of 27 samples. Isotope ratios of lead in meat matched the ratios of bullets, and differed from background lead in bone. We fed fragment-containing venison to four pigs to test bioavailability; four controls received venison without fragments from the same deer. Mean blood lead concentrations in pigs peaked at 2.29 mg/dL (maximum 3.8 mg/dL) 2 days following ingestion of fragment-containing venison, significantly higher than the 0.63 mg/dL averaged by controls. We conclude that people risk exposure to bioavailable lead from bullet fragments when they eat venison from deer killed with standard lead-based rifle bullets and processed under normal procedures. At risk in the U.S. are some ten million hunters, their families, and low-income beneficiaries of venison donations.

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“…17 Antisocial behaviors, including conduct disorder, delinquency, and criminal behaviors, can result from a variety of risk factors, but there is substantial evidence that lead toxicity is 1 of the major risk factors for their development. 16,[19][20][21][22] Needleman et al 16 found that adolescents who had higher bone lead concentrations had higher scores for delinquency and aggression. In a meta-analysis of 16 studies, Marcus et al 22 concluded that lead exposure, measured via blood lead or bone lead concentrations, was a risk factor for conduct disorder.…”

Section: Scope Of the Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 2 prospective longitudinal studies, higher childhood blood lead or tooth lead concentrations resulted in higher rates of self-reported delinquent behaviors and arrests or convictions. 20,21 Reyes 23 concluded that the reduction in population mean blood lead concentrations was the major risk factor associated with the decline in severe violent behaviors over the past 3 decades.…”

Section: Scope Of the Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevention of Childhood Lead Toxicity

Lanphear¹,

Lowry²,

Ahdoot³

et al. 2016

Pediatrics

181

140

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Blood lead concentrations have decreased dramatically in US children over the past 4 decades, but too many children still live in housing with deteriorated lead-based paint and are at risk for lead exposure with resulting lead-associated cognitive impairment and behavioral problems. Evidence continues to accrue that commonly encountered blood lead concentrations, even those below 5 µg/dL (50 ppb), impair cognition; there is no identified threshold or safe level of lead in blood. From 2007 to 2010, approximately 2.6% of preschool children in the United States had a blood lead concentration ≥5 µg/dL (≥50 ppb), which represents about 535 000 US children 1 to 5 years of age. Evidence-based guidance is available for managing increased lead exposure in children, and reducing sources of lead in the environment, including lead in housing, soil, water, and consumer products, has been shown to be cost-beneficial. Primary prevention should be the focus of policy on childhood lead toxicity.

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Association of Prenatal and Childhood Blood Lead Concentrations with Criminal Arrests in Early Adulthood

Cited by 358 publications

References 30 publications

Neurocriminology: implications for the punishment, prediction and prevention of criminal behaviour

Neurocriminology: implications for the punishment, prediction and prevention of criminal behaviour

Lead Bullet Fragments in Venison from Rifle-killed Deer: Potential for Human Dietary Exposure

Prevention of Childhood Lead Toxicity

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