Is childhood obesity a result of toxic exposure to cadmium or malathion? An observational pilot Egyptian study

Abstract Nowadays, exposures to some environmental chemicals may contribute to obesity in children. The aim of the current work is to assess the association between the environmental pollutants cadmium, malaoxon and malathion dicarboxylic acid (MDCA) and obesity in children. Authors conducted a case-control study on 80 children. We recruited 40 obese children and 40 normal-weight children. For each child, we measured urinary concentrations of cadmium (by ICP), malaoxon (by LC/MS/MS), and MDCA (by LC/MS/MS). Results: Malaoxon concentrations were slightly higher among non-obese group B children (median = 0, IQR 0 to 10.29 mg/g) than in obese group A children (median = 0, IQR = 0 to 2.14). There were no significant differences in creatinine-adjusted MDCA or Cadmium.