Recently a study done in Shanghai warned that the continuous exposure to sources of outdoor pollution such as vehicular emissions, industrial smoke, urban waste increases child’s risk of developing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by almost 78%.
This research followed children in Shanghai from birth to three years to understand the effect of exposure to fine particles which is PM 2.5.
This study included 124 ASD children and other 1240 healthy children in different stages were examined over a period of 9 years. In this study, the association between air pollution and ASD was examined.
This story is the first one to examine the effects of long-term exposure of air pollution during the early life of children in a developing country.
Zhiling Guo from Chinese Academy of Sciences said that the causes of autism are complex, and they cannot be fully understood. The environmental factors are increasingly recognized in addition to genetic and other factors.
He also said that the developing brains of young children are at a greater risk to toxic exposures in environment. Several studies have also suggested that this could impact brain function and the immune system.
As per WHO, air pollution has been a major public concern since very long and is estimated to cause at least 4.2 million deaths every year worldwide. Outdoor pollutants contribute to a high burden of disease and pre-mature deaths in densely populated areas like India and China.
It has been found that smaller the airborne particles are their capability of penetrating into lungs and entering the bloodstream rises. This can lead to a range of serious health conditions.
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