] New Evidence Links Mercury Emissions to Rates of Autism

[Guest guest]

http://www.naturalnews.com/023123.html

New Evidence Links Mercury Emissions to Rates of Autism Tuesday, April 29,

2008 by: Teri Lee Gruss (see all articles by this

author)<http://www.naturalnews.com/Author215.html>

| Key concepts: mercury <http://www.naturalnews.com/mercury.html>,

autism<http://www.naturalnews.com/autism.html>and

emissions <http://www.naturalnews.com/emissions.html>

(NaturalNews) Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center

(UTHSC) say that " for the first time in scientific literature, a

statistically significant association between autism risk and distance from

the mercury source " has been established.

Lead researcher F. Palmer PhD says, " This is not a definitive study,

but just one more that furthers the association between environment mercury

and autism " . The study, *Proximity to point sources of environmental mercury

release as a predictor of autism

<http://www.naturalnews.com/autism.html>prevalence

* appears in the journal *Health & Place* (2008).

" We suspect low-dose exposures to various environmental toxicants, including

mercury <http://www.naturalnews.com/mercury.html>, that occur during

critical windows of neural development among genetically susceptible

children may increase the risk for developmental disorders such as autism " .

Mercury sources evaluated in the UTHSC study included " coal-fired utility

plants (33 percent of exposures), municipal/medical waste incinerators (29

percent) and commercial/industrial boilers (18 percent) " . Concrete

manufacturing was also listed as a source of mercury

emissions<http://www.naturalnews.com/emissions.html>

..

Autism rates were gathered in 1,040 Texas school districts and distance from

mercury sources were measured to a central point in the communities studied.

Researchers noted that children with autism not enrolled in the school

districts studied were not included in the data. Therefore autism rates

presented in this study may be somewhat under-reported.

*Key findings from the UTHSC study news release*

* For every 1,000 pounds of mercury released by all industrial sources in

Texas into the environment in 1998, there was a corresponding 2.6 percent

increase in autism rates in the Texas school districts in 2002.

* For every 1,000 pounds of mercury released by Texas power

plants<http://www.naturalnews.com/power_plants.html>in 1998, there was

a corresponding 3.7 percent increase in autism rates in

Texas school districts in 2002.

* Autism prevalence diminished 1 percent to 2 percent for every 10 miles

from the source.

*Adding up the mercury body burden*

Considering other sources of mercury exposure, from fish consumption,

mercury amalgams and mercury preserved

vaccinations<http://www.naturalnews.com/vaccinations.html>along with

the data from this revealing study, it isn't hard to see that the

total body burden of mercury to pregnant and nursing

mothers<http://www.naturalnews.com/nursing_mothers.html>and young

children is increasing at a potentially dangerous rate.

Dr. Palmer emphasizes that mercury

pollution<http://www.naturalnews.com/mercury_pollution.html>is a

global issue. We know that

coal <http://www.naturalnews.com/coal.html> burning power plants and

industrial emissions travel in jet streams and ocean currents, redistributed

across the planet and into distant food supplies. So how do we protect

children, not only from mercury sources close to home but from global

sources as well?

In 2007, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reported that " China

uses and releases more mercury than any other country in the world " . The

NRDC is working internationally, to find solutions to this problem including

a reduction in global supply and demand for mercury and a strategy to

control coal burning emissions in China. We can apply this same model

domestically.

In their document " NRDC Finds to Stop Mercury Pollution in China: China is

Cornerstone in Solving Global Mercury Problem " , the authors say that China

mined 1400 tons of mercury in 2004 for domestic use, about *half* of total

global mercury used. Additionally, China imports mercury, much of it coming

from the European Union which, according to the NRDC is the world's biggest

exporter of mercury.

Reducing exposure to mercury, a potent neurotoxin, is integral to halting

our exploding rate of autism. Eliminating the mercury preservative

thimerosal in *all* vaccinations, eliminating consumption of mercury

contaminated fish and seaweed and eliminating the use of mercury amalgams

are effective steps towards reducing *cumulative* total body burden of

mercury in pregnant and nursing mothers, small children and everyone else.

Reducing industrial mercury emissions is a challenge that has to be

addressed both at home and abroad.

Source:

UTHSC News Release, April 24, 2008

Study links autism risk to distance from power plants, other

mercury-releasing sources

((http://www.uthscsa.edu/hscnews/singlefo...<http://www.uthscsa.edu/hscnews/sing\

leformat.asp?newID=2732>

)

Citation:

Palmer, R.F., et al., Proximity to point sources of environmental mercury

release as a predictor of autism prevalence. Health & Place (2008),

doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2008.02.001.

National Resources Defense Council

((http://www.nrdc.org/international/china...<http://www.nrdc.org/international/c\

hina/mercury.pdf>

)

About the authorTeri Lee Gruss, MS Human Nutrition