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Journal article
Air Toxics in Relation to Autism Diagnosis, Phenotype, and Severity in a U.S. Family-Based Study
Environmental health perspectives, v 126(3), pp 037004-037004
12 Mar 2018
PMID: 29553459
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Previous studies have reported associations of perinatal exposure to air toxics, including some metals and volatile organic compounds, with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Our goal was to further explore associations of perinatal air toxics with ASD and associated quantitative traits in high-risk multiplex families.
We included participants of a U.S. family-based study [the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE)] who were born between 1994 and 2007 and had address information. We assessed associations between average annual concentrations at birth for each of 155 air toxics from the U.S. EPA emissions-based National-scale Air Toxics Assessment and
) ASD diagnosis (1,540 cases and 477 controls);
) a continuous measure of autism-related traits, the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS, among 1,272 cases and controls); and
) a measure of autism severity, the Calibrated Severity Score (among 1,380 cases). In addition to the individual's air toxic level, mixed models (clustering on family) included the family mean air toxic level, birth year, and census covariates, with consideration of the false discovery rate.
ASD diagnosis was positively associated with propionaldehyde, methyl
-butyl ether (MTBE), bromoform, 1,4-dioxane, dibenzofurans, and glycol ethers and was inversely associated with 1,4-dichlorobenzene, 4,4'-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), benzidine, and ethyl carbamate (urethane). These associations were robust to adjustment in two-pollutant models. Autism severity was associated positively with carbon disulfide and chlorobenzene, and negatively with 1,4-dichlorobenzene. There were no associations with the SRS.
Some air toxics were associated with ASD risk and severity, including some traffic-related air pollutants and newly-reported associations, but other previously reported associations with metals and volatile organic compounds were not reproducible. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1867.
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Details
- Title
- Air Toxics in Relation to Autism Diagnosis, Phenotype, and Severity in a U.S. Family-Based Study
- Creators
- Amy E Kalkbrenner - University of Wisconsin–MilwaukeeGayle C Windham - California Department of Public HealthCheng Zheng - University of Wisconsin–MilwaukeeRob McConnell - University of Southern CaliforniaNora L Lee - Drexel UniversityJames J Schauer - University of Wisconsin–MadisonBrian Thayer - University of Wisconsin–MilwaukeeJuhi Pandey - Center for Autism and Related DisordersHeather E Volk - Bloomberg
- Publication Details
- Environmental health perspectives, v 126(3), pp 037004-037004
- Grant note
- U24 MH081810 / NIMH NIH HHS P30 ES007048 / NIEHS NIH HHS
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000428419000001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85045025641
- Other Identifier
- 991019167779204721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Environmental Sciences
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
- Toxicology