Autism spectrum disorder prevalence and associations with air concentrations of lead, mercury, and arsenic

Dickerson, Aisha S.; Rahbar, Mohammad Hossein; Bakian, Amanda V.; Bilder, Deborah A.; Harrington, Rebecca A.; Pettygrove, Sydney; Kirby, Russell S.; Durkin, Maureen S.; Han, Inkyu; Moyé, Lemuel A.; Pearson, Deborah A.; Wingate, Martha S.; Zahorodny, Walter

doi:10.1007/s10661-016-5405-1

Cited by 61 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 54 publications

(95 reference statements)

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“…In contrast, ADDM typically surveys 4 urban counties in New Jersey, but samples Alabama broadly across 32 counties in the northern half of the state, comprising a mix of urban and rural areas. ASD prevalence in general tends to be higher in urban than rural areas, for reasons that are not clear but may involve enhanced exposure to beneficial environmental microbes in rural areas and/or higher levels of toxins in urban areas (Becker 2010; Dickerson et al 2016). As a result, the different sampling strategies across the two states will tend to exaggerate the difference in ASD prevalence between New Jersey and Alabama.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

California Autism Prevalence Trends from 1931 to 2014 and Comparison to National ASD Data from IDEA and ADDM

Nevison

Blaxill

Zahorodny

2018

J Autism Dev Disord

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Time trends in U.S. autism prevalence from three ongoing datasets [Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, and California Department of Developmental Services (CDDS)] are calculated using two different methods: (1) constant-age tracking of 8 year-olds and (2) age-resolved snapshots. The data are consistent across methods in showing a strong upward trend over time. The prevalence of autism in the CDDS dataset, the longest of the three data records, increased from 0.001% in the cohort born in 1931 to 1.2% among 5 year-olds born in 2012. This increase began around ~ 1940 at a rate that has gradually accelerated over time, including notable change points around birth years 1980, 1990 and, most recently, 2007.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s10803-018-3670-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

California Autism Prevalence Trends from 1931 to 2014 and Comparison to National ASD Data from IDEA and ADDM

Nevison

Blaxill

Zahorodny

2018

J Autism Dev Disord

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“…Yasuda et al [16,17] mg•kg − 1 ). Similar Pb and As content were found in the hair of ASD children from different parts of the world, Saudi Arabia [11,12,18,43], Kuwait [25], Oman [19], India [20], Egypt [21,22], Italy [26], and the USA [5,29,44].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…In children whose mothers were exposed to As compounds, the following symptoms are observed: difficulty with learning, memory, concentration, cognitive and behavioral disorders. Children exposed to this element may also present the symptoms of retarded development or inhibited physical and mental development [1,5,6,13,23,[29][30][31][32][33][34][35].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over the last decades, numerous studies have reported a relationship between ASD and Pb and As exposure [5,[11][12][13][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. However, there are also some reports that conclude that heavy metals exposure is not a risk factor for ASD [6,14,[25][26][27][28][29]. Therefore, an accurate evaluation of the relationship between ASD and heavy metals needs more specific research.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Analysis of lead, arsenic and calcium content in the hair of children with autism spectrum disorder

Fiłon

Ustymowicz-Farbiszewska

Krajewska-Kułak

2020

BMC Public Health

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Background: Explanation of the pathogenesis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is one of the most significant challenges for scientists today. It is believed that a major pathogenetic factor of this condition is epigenetic changes caused by environmental factors, including toxic metals (cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), aluminium (Al), and arsenic (As)). The nervous system may also be affected by deficiencies of both micro-and macroelements (e.g. calcium (Ca), zinc (Zn)). The aim of the study was to analyze the concentrations of Pb, As, and Ca in the hair of children with ASD and a control group. Methods: The materials for the study comprised hair samples collected from 30 children diagnosed with ASD (case group) and 30 children randomly selected from the general population of Bialystok and surrounding region (control group). Concentrations of Pb, As, and Ca were tested with electron microscopy scanning method. Next, the content of the analyzed elements in the hair was assessed as well as their impact on autism development in the children and the mutual interactions between them. The obtained results were statistically analyzed with Statistica PL 12.5., using the Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: Mean Ca level in the hair of the case group was lower than the mean level of this element in the control group. Mean As and Pb concentration in the hair of children with ASD was statistically significantly higher than the mean concentration of this element in the hair of children without neurological disorders. Statistically insignificant weak positive correlations between Ca and As content and negative between Ca and Pb in the hair of children from the case group were noted. Also, statistically significant mean positive correlations between Pb and As were observed. Conclusions: In this small study, according to the observations, children diagnosed with ASD suffer from Ca deficiency and toxic metal overload (As and Pb). These abnormalities may play the main role, as an environmental factor, in the pathogenesis of the analyzed disorder.

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“…Hitherto, studies have demonstrated that increased levels of lead (Pb), mercury(Hg), and arsenic(As) in the air are associated with an increased prevalence of ASD [1]. In addition, data from the center for disease control and prevention of the USA have demonstrated the associations of environmental levels of Pb, Hg, and As with ASD [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations of heavy metal levels with environmental and behavioral factors in children with autism spectrum disorder

Huang¹,

Huang²,

Zhao³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background The etiologies of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are yet unclear. Previous studies suggested that ASD is associated with environmental heavy metals. Thus, the present study analyzed the levels of 41 heavy metals and the associated environmental factors in children with ASD. Methods The 25 children diagnosed with ASD were included in the case group (ASD group), while the 18 age- and gender-matched healthy children who came for routine care were included in the typical development group (TD group). The levels of heavy metal in the blood were measured in both groups. The questionnaire survey collected the demographic information, socioeconomic information, and risk factors of potential heavy metal sources for the analysis of risk factors. Results A total of 25 children were included in the ASD group and 18 in the TD group. The blood manganese (Mn) level was significantly higher in the ASD group than the TD group . The father’s educational level was significantly higher in the ASD group than the TD group. The living status was mainly scattered for the ASD children and daycare for the TD group. The frequency of book-reading, washing hand with sanitizer/soap, and the folic acid intake by the mother before pregnancy was significantly lower in the ASD group than the TD group, while the percentage of birth disorder history was significantly higher in the ASD group than the TD group. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the folic acid intake by the mother before pregnancy and father’s education level beyond junior college were protective factors for ASD. Also, the frequencies of washing hands with sanitizer every time, sometimes, and hardly acted as protective factors for ASD. Conclusion Blood Mn level was significantly higher in ASD than TD, suggesting that environmental Mn exposure could be a risk factor of ASD in children. Folic acid intake by the mother before pregnancy and father’s education levels are protective factors for ASD. Concentrated heavy metal in the blood in prenatal or early life exposures which suggested ASD is needed in the future study.

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Autism spectrum disorder prevalence and associations with air concentrations of lead, mercury, and arsenic

Cited by 61 publications

References 54 publications

California Autism Prevalence Trends from 1931 to 2014 and Comparison to National ASD Data from IDEA and ADDM

California Autism Prevalence Trends from 1931 to 2014 and Comparison to National ASD Data from IDEA and ADDM

Analysis of lead, arsenic and calcium content in the hair of children with autism spectrum disorder

Associations of heavy metal levels with environmental and behavioral factors in children with autism spectrum disorder

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