The American Journal of Psychiatry recently published a study that defines the link amid insecticide levels in a mother’s blood and autism possibility in their children. At least 1 in 59 infants in the United States are estimated to be autistic. Autism conditions differ amid people. However, mutual symptoms consist of difficulties in adopting change, social disorders, and repetitive behaviors. To date, autism remains a mystery, especially its exact cause and how the condition develops. However, it is extensively accepted that it occurs as a probable interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Considerable progress has been made regarding the study of autism. However, there are few conclusive solutions and there’s no cure.
A group of researchers recently departed to investigate the possible relations between autism and pesticide exposure. They were particularly engrossed in dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). Scientists came from New York’s Mailman School of Public Health in Columbia University, and Finland’s National Institute of Health and Welfare and the University of Turku researchers. DDT was initially synthesized in 1874 and kills an extensive variety of disease vectors. During the World War II, DDT was used to regulate typhus and malaria in the South Pacific and Europe. Its efficacy came to light after it nearly eliminated typhus in some parts of Europe. The pesticide was available for procurement in the US in 1945 and broadly used in both agricultural firms and private homes. Despite its effectiveness, DDT was banned in many countries due to valid safety worries.
Considering its widespread use, the chemical remained since it is a tenacious organic contaminant. This means that it breaks down gradually over decades, effortlessly penetrating the food chain. These chemicals accumulate in an organism over time, particularly in fatty tissues. The rigorous impact of chronic exposure to DDT on humans is unverified. But it’s alleged to be a latent carcinogen and an endocrine disruptor. Short-term exposure to DDT is deliberated to be fairly safe. It is therefore used in pesticides that regulate mosquitoes and other pests in places such as sub-Saharan Africa. Troublingly, studies show that DDT can cross the placenta. This increases the likelihood of affecting unborn infants.
Scholars measured levels of p,p’-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), which is a DDT breakdown product. The danger of an infant developing autism was about one-third higher if the mother has raised levels of DDE in her plasma. Still, the likelihood of intellectual disability was more than double. The study nullified claims linking polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This is an industrial chemical that can cause autism. However, the challenge will be to eliminate DDT from both humans and the environment.
