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Autism Study Identifies Air Pollution Link
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was linked with prenatal exposure to two components of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution, a study of 2.2 million Canadian births suggested. Prenatal exposure to sulfate and ammonium was associated with an autism diagnosis by age five, reported Eric Lavigne, Ph.D., of Health Canada in Ottawa, and co-authors. For each interquartile range increase, sulfate raised the risk of autism (HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.06-1.25), as did ammonium (HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.01-1.23), Lavigne and colleagues wrote in JAMA Network Open.
Sulfate is a product of fossil fuel combustion; ammonium is used in fertilizers and sewage treatment. The second and third trimesters appeared to be sensitive exposure windows, the researchers noted. Ozone exposure during gestational weeks 26 to 30 (HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.05) and during the first year of life (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01-1.17) also was tied to an autism diagnosis.
There’s no single cause of autism, though some studies point to genetic predisposition or in utero factors. This analysis supports further research about pollution’s role in ASD etiology, the researchers said.
Ministers Face Call to Ensure Toys Are Free From ‘Forever Chemicals’
The government has been urged to act to protect children from playing with toys containing “forever chemicals.” Fifty scientists, academics and patient organizations have written to Kate Dearden, minister for consumer protection, warning that safety regulations in the U.K. could fall behind those protecting children in Europe.
This means British children could soon be playing with toys considered unsafe in the EU, they said. Examples can include hormone disrupting bisphenols found in teething toys and PFAS — known as “forever chemicals” because they take centuries to break down — found in polyurethane foam which is present in squishy toys such as balls and building blocks.
Experts warned that children are particularly vulnerable to harmful chemicals while they are still developing. Professor Paul Fowler, chairman in Translational Medical Sciences at the University of Aberdeen, told the PA news agency: “PFAS are increasingly associated with a wide range of adverse health effects, children are particularly vulnerable to adverse effects.
Asheboro, North Carolina, Under Pressure to Control Discharges of Toxic Chemical Into Drinking Water Supply
Some members of the public in attendance at the Environmental Protection Agency hearing last week called the City of Asheboro’s actions “despicable.” Others said they were “shameless.” And still another remarked that those who pollute the water — which data show Asheboro is doing — await “a special circle of hell.”
About 100 people gathered in a classroom at Randolph Community College where, despite the federal government shutdown, the Environmental Protection Agency held the public hearing it deemed “mission critical” about Asheboro’s 1,4-Dioxane problem. The problem, though, extends far beyond the city of 28,000 people in Randolph County. Studies from North Carolina State University show that North Carolina has some of the highest levels of 1,4-Dioxane, an industrial solvent and likely human carcinogen, in surface water in the country.
One of the hotspots is in the Upper Cape Fear River Basin, where Asheboro’s wastewater treatment plant has polluted the drinking water of 900,000 people living downstream with 1,4-Dioxane. Long-term exposure can damage the liver and kidneys.
Blood Tests Show Highest Levels of Forever Chemicals in Those Living Near New Mexico Plume
It’s a name many people have trouble pronouncing, but these synthetic chemicals have been used in everything from fast-food packaging to nonstick cookware, clothing, household cleaning products and even firefighting foam. PFAS — or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — resist breaking down and as a result have found their way into drinking water, soil, air and the bloodstreams of 99% of Americans.
This is certainly true for people who live or work near a plume of contamination that has seeped beyond the boundaries of Cannon Air Force Base, where PFAS-laden firefighting foam was used for years. New Mexico health and environmental officials conducted a $1.2 million testing project, drawing blood from nearly 630 people. They shared the results Thursday night during a public meeting.
The research shows 99.7% of participants had one or more PFAS in their blood, with the most common being associated with firefighting foams. While the percentage isn’t surprising given the overall prevalence of so-called forever chemicals in the environment, officials said some residents living in the plume area showed dramatically higher concentrations than the broader testing group.
About one-quarter of them had levels reaching the highest concentration tier used in national guidelines. The findings suggest a correlation with groundwater contamination migrating from the base, state officials said.
Why Some Airlines Spray Pesticide in the Cabin Before Takeoff, and Is It Safe?
Anytime the word “pesticide” comes up in public discourse, it’s usually in reference to how ruinous it is to natural ecosystems and public health. There’s a reason they’ve garnered such a negative reputation: Pesticides are poisons. They’re designed to kill pests like fungus gnats and mosquitoes, weeds, molds and mildews, and anything else that might harm crop yields.
But just as fungi don’t welcome pesticides, neither does the human body. So travelers beware: Pesticides are sometimes sprayed on flights, and it might not be good for your health. There are few places less suited to dangerous chemicals than a flight — a cramped space that can feel cloying and claustrophobic at the best of times.
The reason for using onboard pesticides is pretty straightforward: Certain countries require flights to be sprayed with them to kill harmful insect-borne pathogens, like Zika, malaria, and dengue. Some planes are sprayed and wiped down before passengers board — which reportedly kills insects for up to eight weeks — while others are disinfected during the flight. In such cases, the crew (who will at least suggest you cover your eyes) walks along the aisle spraying the pesticide into the air, which must surely be one of the most unusual requirements for being a flight attendant.
7 Small Swaps to Live With Fewer Toxic Chemicals
Studies show that people are routinely exposed to a host of toxic chemicals in their everyday lives, which can lead to serious health issues. But people often express confusion and anxiety about the best ways to avoid these dangerous substances.
The Post spoke with four environmental health experts and asked how they minimize exposure and reduce risk.
“Environmental health is not about fear, it’s really about education,” said Chris Walker, a senior program analyst at the National Environmental Health Association. Information, he said, is really the best protection.Polluted drinking water is a growing problem across the country, and people are understandably alarmed. Whether the concern is lead pipes or “forever chemicals” from industrial pollution, the easiest way to protect yourself against water contaminants is to filter your water. Most Americans get their drinking water from public water systems, but using “some type of filtration at the tap is always good,” Walker said.
