Exposure to traffic-related air pollution, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter during pregnancy and during a child’s first year of life may be linked to a higher risk of autism.

Archives of General PsychiatryJAMA

Autism
  • social interaction
  • communication
  • repetitive behaviors
  • what exposures are linked
  • their procedure of action
  • the stages in development in which they act
  • the development of successful preventive actions




“Exposures to traffic-related air pollution, PM [particulate matter] and nitrogen dioxide were associated with an increased risk of autism. These effects were observed using measures of air pollution with variation on both local and regional levels, suggesting the need for further study to understand both individual pollutant contributions and the effects of pollutant mixtures on disease.”



kids whose homes had the greatest levels of modeled traffic-related air pollution had a 3 times higher chance of autism

higher levels of exposure to particulate matter less than 2.5 and 10µm in diameter and nitrogen dioxide based on the EPA’s regional air quality monitoring program were linked to an elevated risk of autism



“Research on the effects of exposure to pollutants and their interaction with susceptibility factors may lead to the identification of the biologic pathways that are activated in autism and to improved prevention and therapeutic strategies. Although additional research to replicate these findings is needed, the public health implications of these findings are large because air pollution exposure is common and may have lasting neurological effects.”