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Exhaust inhalation increases the risk of autism
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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A team of specialists from the University of California, led by Professor Heather Foulke, discovered that living near a road with heavy traffic can negatively affect a child's health. In particular, it can increase the risk of developing autism.
The culprit is suspended particles of exhaust gases, the inhalation of which is very harmful for pregnant women and children in the first year of life.
The scientists’ work was published in the scientific journal “Archives of General Psychiatry”.
Autism is a disorder characterized by problems in social interaction and communication that accompany a person throughout life. This disorder develops due to a combination of genetic and external factors.
Experts emphasize that the data they obtained is very important and confirms that the action of external factors influences the development of autism, but how this influence is carried out is still difficult due to a lack of information.
There are approximately 600,000 children and adults with autism in the UK. Around one in 100 children do not show symptoms until they are two years old.
The study involved 279 people suffering from autism and 245 children without developmental disabilities.
The authors of the work report that air measurements for the presence of nitrogen dioxide, road dust and particulate matter were taken at the local level – regionally and directly in the apartment.
The experts also assessed the negative impact of exhaust gases on pregnant women in each trimester of pregnancy.
The research found that children who lived near busy roads (which is why they had high levels of particulate matter in their homes) were three times more likely to have autism than children who lived away from heavy traffic.
The authors hope that further research will allow them to advance their understanding of the mechanisms at work in autism, which will help develop or improve therapeutic strategies to combat the disorder.
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