Study Links Mercury Emissions to Increase in Autism

The Seattle Times

Mercury released primarily from coal-fired power plants may be contributing to an increase in the number of cases of autism, a Texas researcher says.

A study published yesterday in the journal Health and Place found that autism, a developmental disorder marked by communication and social interaction problems, increased in Texas counties as mercury emissions rose, said Claudia Miller of the University of Texas Health Science Centre in San Antonio.

"The main finding is that for every thousand pounds [450 kilograms] of environmentally released mercury, we saw a 17 per cent increase in autism rates," she said.

About 48 tonnes of mercury are released into the air annually in the United States from hundreds of coal-burning plants.

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