“Air pollution has emerged as an important risk factor for autism.”

The causes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are diverse and complex. Research results have shown that air pollution has emerged as an important risk factor for autism spectrum disorder. A research team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel found that exposure to air pollution during infancy and fetus increases the risk of autism spectrum disorder.

“The timing of exposure to air pollution is very important,” said Professor Haitham Amal (director of the Neurology, Cell Signaling, and Translational Medicine Research Institute), the lead author of the study. “Vulnerability is high during critical periods such as the fetus and infancy, when neurodevelopmental processes occur,” he said. “If you have a genetic predisposition to the autism spectrum, you may be much more vulnerable to the harmful effects of air pollution exposure,” he said. “We need to pay attention to the interaction between genetic and environmental factors,” he emphasized.

Research shows that exposure to air pollutants during a critical period of a person’s development can have a significant impact on the risk of autism spectrum disorder, according to laboratory studies and a review of the literature. Additionally, major pathways through which air pollutants can affect the development of autism spectrum include nitrosative stress regulated by nitric oxide (NO), neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, disruption of neurotransmitter systems, epigenetic modifications, and endocrine interference. , metabolic pathway dysregulation, etc. were found to be included. It was analyzed that small particles (PM2.5, NO products) can have a particularly negative effect on the brain development of the fetus by passing through the placenta.

Professor Amal emphasized, “Neurological disorders such as autism spectrum disorder are highly related to environmental factors,” and added, “The molecule of nitric oxide (NO) and its derivatives have a very significant impact on the brain.” According to the research team, the global prevalence of autism spectrum disorder is 1-1.5%. Research is needed to investigate the complex effects of various pollutants during specific developmental periods.

The results of this study (Air Pollution: An Emerging Risk Factor for Autism Spectrum Disorder) were published in the international journal Brain Medicine.