Associations between standardized school performance tests and mixtures of Pb, Zn, Cd, Ni, Mn, Cu, Cr, Co, and V in community soils of New Orleans

In New Orleans a strong inverse association was previously identified between community soil lead and 4th grade school performance. This study extends the association to zinc, cadmium, nickel, manganese, copper, chromium, cobalt, and vanadium in community soil and their comparative effects on 4th grade school performance. Adjusting for poverty, food security, racial composition, and teacher-student ratios, regression results show that soil metals variously reduce and compress student scores. Soil metals account for 22%–24% while food insecurity accounts for 29%–37% of variation in school performance. The impact on grade point averages were Ni > Co > Mn > Cu ∼Cr ∼ Cd > Zn > Pb, but metals are mixtures in soils. The quantities of soil metal mixtures vary widely across the city with the largest totals in the inner city and smallest totals in the outer city. School grade point averages are lowest where the soil metal mixtures and food insecurity are highest.

► Mixtures of metals vary; largest totals in the inner city and lowest in the outer city.
► An inverse association between soil Pb and 4th grade school performance is known.
► Assuming the same exposure pathway, multiple metals are compared to performance.
► Soil metals account for 22%–24% of variation in school test performance.
► Soil metal plus food insecurity accounts for 54% of explained variance.