PS: air pollution affects health, increases autism rate

[Guest guest]

Cite-0 was accidentally omitted from the original post but is included

herein.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has an excellent series focusing upon airborne

pollutants and their adverse health effects (1-3). Furthermore, an

thorough but easily understood review summarizes air pollution in

relation to neuroinflammation (4, free online). This is significant in

relation to autism because several studies have documented associations

between airborne pollutants and autism (eg, 5-8).

*//*

0. When talking air pollution, what you can't see can kill you.

<http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10347/1109199-114.stm>

Pollution sickens, and pollution kills. Scientific studies have proven

it beyond a doubt. Research now is focusing on the widening variety of

health problems it can cause or worsen, while tabulating a more precise

death toll.

1. Toxic dust found at homes near industrial facilities.

<http://bit.ly/hUcm3G>

An independent analysis of dust samples taken by the Pittsburgh

Post-Gazette at homes and other residential locations near industrial

operations and utilities in the region found soot, arsenic, lead, ash

and other materials associated with coal combustion byproducts and

emissions.

2. Region at risk: Can higher rates of death be linked to air pollution?

<http://bit.ly/fcslQH>

Numerous studies show that southwestern Pennsylvania has poor air

quality and a yearlong Pittsburgh Post-Gazette investigation has found

that those pollution problems remain far from solved in hundreds of

communities.

3. 'Clusters' of death.

<http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10347/1109235-114.stm>

In many places around Western Pennsylvania residents see clusters of

death and clusters of people sickened by cancer or heart and lung diseases.

4. Air pollution: mechanisms of neuroinflammation and CNS disease.

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19716187>

Block ML, Calderón-Garcidueñas L.

Trends Neurosci. 2009 Sep;32(9):506-16.

5. Autism spectrum disorders in relation to distribution of hazardous

air pollutants in the san francisco bay area.

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16966102>

Windham GC, Zhang L, Gunier R, Croen LA, Grether JK.

Environ Health Perspect. 2006 Sep;114(9):1438-44.

6. Maternal residence near agricultural pesticide applications and

autism spectrum disorders among children in the California Central

Valley. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17938740>

EM, English PB, Grether JK, Windham GC, Somberg L, Wolff C.

Environ Health Perspect. 2007 Oct;115(10):1482-9.

7. Environmental mercury release, special education rates, and autism

disorder: an ecological study of Texas.

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16338635>

Palmer RF, Blanchard S, Stein Z, Mandell D, C.

Health Place. 2006 Jun;12(2):203-9.

8. Proximity to point sources of environmental mercury release as a

predictor of autism prevalence.

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18353703>

Palmer RF, Blanchard S, Wood R.

Health Place. 2009 Mar;15(1):18-24.