A Research Strategy to Discover the Environmental Causes of Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disabiliti
A Research Strategy to Discover the Environmental Causes of Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
Editorial in Environmental Health Perspectives
To begin formulation of a systematic strategy for discovery of potentially preventable environmental causes of autism and other NDDs, the Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center, with the support of the NIEHS and Autism Speaks, convened a workshop on “Exploring the Environmental Causes of Autism and Learning Disabilities.” This workshop produced a series of papers by leading researchers, some of which are published in this issue of Environmental Health Perspectives. It also generated a list of 10 chemicals and mixtures widely distributed in the environment that are already suspected of causing develop mental neuro toxicity:
- Lead (Jusko et al. 2008)
- Methylmercury (Oken et al. 2008)
- Polychlorinated biphenyls (Winneke 2011)
- Organophosphate pesticides (Eskenazi et al. 2007; London et al. 2012)
- Organochlorine pesticides (Eskenazi et al. 2008)
- Endocrine disruptors (Braun et al. 2011; Miodovnik et al. 2011)
- Automotive exhaust (Volk et al. 2011)
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Perera et al. 2009)
- Brominated flame retardants (Herbstman et al. 2010)
- Perfluorinated compounds (Stein and Savitz 2011).
This list is not exhaustive and will almost certainly expand in the years ahead as new science emerges. It is intended to focus research in environmental causation of NDDs on a short list of chemicals where concentrated study has high potential to generate actionable findings in the near future. Its ultimate purpose is to catalyze new evidence-based programs for prevention of disease in America’s children.
http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102175172120-212/Autism_editorial_final.pdf