News Brief

New Study Ties Vehicle Exhaust to Autism

By Erin WeaverExposure to high levels of vehicle exhaust has been linked to a range of health issues, from premature birth to Alzheimer’s disease (see “Traffic Exhaust May Cause Brain Damage,”

EBN Dec. 2011); new research suggests a correlation between traffic pollution and autism.

A California study published in

Archives of General Psychiatry looked at 524 children, 279 of them with autism; using meteorological and traffic data from roads within approximately three miles of each home, researchers modeled traffic-related exposure to nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter during gestation and the first year of life. Children with the highest exposure, particularly during late gestation and early life, were three times as likely to have autism as those with the lowest exposure. The researchers observe that autism is likely caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Published December 31, 2012

Weaver, E. (2012, December 31). New Study Ties Vehicle Exhaust to Autism. Retrieved from https://www.buildinggreen.com/newsbrief/new-study-ties-vehicle-exhaust-autism

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