US research links autism to pollution levels

Pregnant women who were exposed to high levels of air pollution were twice as likely to have a child with autism as women who lived in low pollution areas, a US study shows.

According to experts at Harvard University, the research — the findings of which are published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives — is the first large national study to examine links between the prevalence of pollution and the development of the disorder.

“Our findings raise concerns,” said lead author Andrea Roberts, a research associate in the Harvard School of Public Health department of social and behavioural sciences.