Childhood dyslexia risk elevated by heavy metal mixtures from e-waste: A machine learning-driven mixture modeling
Xinle Yu1, Xuanzhi Zhang1, Wanyi Wen2
1Mental Health Center of Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong, China; Shantou University Medical College-Faculty of Medicine of University of Manitoba Joint Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Shantou, Guangdong, China.
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
|January 30, 2026
Summary
Exposure to heavy metal mixtures from e-waste recycling is linked to increased developmental dyslexia risk in children. Chromium, nickel, and lead are key contributors, highlighting the need for environmental cleanup and health interventions.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Neurotoxicology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Informal e-waste recycling generates heavy metal mixtures, posing potential neurotoxic risks.
- The association between these environmental exposures and developmental dyslexia remains under-investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between heavy metal mixture exposure in e-waste recycling areas and dyslexia risk.
- To identify critical metals, their interactions, and underlying biological mechanisms.
- To explore potential mitigation strategies.
Main Methods:
- A two-stage study in Guiyu, China, involving dyslexia screening of 2,520 children and a case-control analysis (66 cases, 132 controls).
- Quantification of eleven urinary metals using ICP-MS.
- Application of advanced statistical mixture models (XGBoost, SHAP, AENET, WQS, qgcomp, BKMR) and bioinformatics analyses.
Main Results:
- Significant, dose-dependent associations were found between mixed-metal exposure and increased dyslexia risk (e.g., ERS OR=11.00, WQS OR=14.98).
- Chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) were identified as primary drivers, with synergistic interactions.
- Neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and epigenetic disruption were implicated mechanistic pathways, with IL1B, ESR1, MAPT, and ALB as key molecular hubs.
Conclusions:
- Mixed-metal exposure in e-waste recycling environments significantly elevates dyslexia risk.
- Targeted environmental remediation, public health interventions, and dyslexia screening are urgently needed.
- Rutin shows potential as a mitigator of metal-induced neurotoxicity.
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