A geological analysis for the environmental cause of human birth defects based on GIS

ISSN： 0277-2248

Source： Toxicological and Environmental Chemistry, Vol.88, Iss.3, 2006-07, pp. : 551-559

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Abstract

Previous studies on birth defects risk from environmental factors focused on the dose–response relationship of exposure to toxic materials. The purpose of this article is to investigate the relationship between the geological background and occurrence ratio of neural tube defect (NTD) birth defects. Bayesian method was used to adjust the occurrence of NTD birth defects; both parametric and nonparametric statistical methods were used to quantify the correlation between geological background and human birth defects risk. At the two limbs of anticline rock, whose kernel stratum is of Archean kingdom, age of rock strata showed significant positive correlation to the occurrence of birth defects risk. In the region inside 4km around the fault zone, the occurrence ratio of NTD birth defects is the highest; and decreases when the buffer distance increases. In macro spatial scale, geological background has a significant correlation to the birth defects risk with people residing near the fault zone having higher risk to beget babies with birth defects.