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Grandmaster
Study links pesticide exposure in pregnancy to autism | Reuters
This is an interesting study. California publishes data each year tracking the locations and types of chemicals used on crops. Researchers studied the incidence of autism and developmental delays relative to the mother's proximity to these chemicals and found some pretty solid correlations.
This is not the first study showing this correlation, but it did further solidify the data.
Full study is available here:
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/wp-content/uploads/advpub/2014/6/ehp.1307044.pdf
Organophosphates seemed to be the most commonly used type of pesticide, as well as the most dangerous.
I suspect that the particular formulation mostly to blame is commonly known as Roundup. As of 2010, roundup ready crops accounted for 90 of the soybeans and 70% of the cotton and corn grown in the U.S. (source) And farmers who purchase roundup ready seeds are contractually obligated to use only roundup pesticides on them. It is the top selling pesticide worldwide, and is an organophosphate.
This is an interesting study. California publishes data each year tracking the locations and types of chemicals used on crops. Researchers studied the incidence of autism and developmental delays relative to the mother's proximity to these chemicals and found some pretty solid correlations.
Children of mothers exposed to organophosphates were 60 percent more likely to have an ASD than children of non-exposed mothers, the authors report in Environmental Health Perspectives.
This is not the first study showing this correlation, but it did further solidify the data.
Full study is available here:
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/wp-content/uploads/advpub/2014/6/ehp.1307044.pdf
Results: Approximately one-third of CHARGE Study mothers lived, during pregnancy, within 1.5km (just under one mile) of an agricultural pesticide application. Proximity to
organophosphates at some point during gestation was associated with a 60% increased risk for
ASD, higher for 3rd trimester exposures [OR = 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (1.1, 3.6)],
and 2nd trimester chlorpyrifos applications: OR = 3.3 [95% CI = (1.5, 7.4)].
Organophosphates seemed to be the most commonly used type of pesticide, as well as the most dangerous.
I suspect that the particular formulation mostly to blame is commonly known as Roundup. As of 2010, roundup ready crops accounted for 90 of the soybeans and 70% of the cotton and corn grown in the U.S. (source) And farmers who purchase roundup ready seeds are contractually obligated to use only roundup pesticides on them. It is the top selling pesticide worldwide, and is an organophosphate.