Disturbance of cerebral function in people exposed to drinking water contaminated with aluminium sulphate: retrospective study of the Camelford water incident.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To establish whether people exposed to drinking water contaminated with 20 tonnes of aluminium sulphate in the Camelford area of Cornwall in the south west of England in July 1988 had suffered organic brain damage as opposed to psychological trauma only.

Design

Retrospective study of affected people.

Participants

55 affected people and 15 siblings nearest in age to one of the group but who had not been exposed to the contaminated water were studied.

Main outcome measures

Various clinical and psychological tests to determine medical condition and anxiety levels in affected people. Assessment of premorbid IQ (pFSIQ) with the national adult reading test, a computerised battery of psychomotor testing, and measurement of the difference in latencies between

SUBMITTER: Altmann P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC314205 | biostudies-literature | 1999 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature