Chemical security

Deadly Pesticides Banned in the 1970s Still Increasing Autism Risk

Lethal chemicals banned decades ago in the USA could still be responsible for drastically increasing the risk of autism in children today, according to a new study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Organochlorine chemicals, used in pesticides and insulating material, were banned in 1977. The dangerous compounds were thought to have been confined to history; but the recently published study suggests that they might still be haunting us in the form of a link between higher levels of exposure to the chemicals during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder in children.

The results suggest that children born after being exposed to the highest levels of certain compounds of the chemicals during their mother’s pregnancy were 80% more likely to be diagnosed with autism compared to those who had only been exposed to the very lowest levels of these chemicals.