It seems that we are in the middle of an Autism epidemic, if you consider that autism is affecting 1 in 150 children and that the Center of Disease Control and Prevention have upgraded the disorder to a classification of “urgent health threat”, and many would argue that this epidemic is due to our toxic and hostile environment.

The world has changed over the past few decades and we now live in a world whose air, water and soil are contaminated by pollution, toxins and chemicals. We just can't escape these toxins, everywhere we go we are bombarded by them in the air, our food, medicines we take, and our homes and gardens. Research has suggested that these environmental toxins are responsible for many health problems and illnesses, and that they can affect the growth and development of our children. Asthma, eczema, leukemia, cancer, allergies, learning problems and behavioral disorders are all on the increase and many scientists believe that this is because of the toxic load that our children's bodies are exposed to.

The Environmental Factors that May Cause Autism

The following environmental factors are all believed to be causes or triggers of autism and other developmental disorders:-

• Heavy metals– Heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, lead and manganese are all present in our environment and heavy metal poisoning has been linked to autism. Mercury is used as a preservative (thimerosal) in certain medicines and vaccines, and the symptoms of mercury poisoning (speech problems, sensory abnormalities, learning difficulties and social problems) are practically identical to autism symptoms. Cadmium is found in our drinking water and our air, from pollution, and a build up of it in the body has been linked to cognitive impairment. Lead can be found in old paint, old water pipes and also leaded fuel, and high levels of it in children's bodies has been found to cause learning problems, aggression, ADD and learning difficulties. Manganese, at high levels, can cause hyperactivity and learning problems.

• Mercury emissions– As well as being present in some medicines and vaccines, mercury is also present in emissions from concrete manufacturing, industrial boilers, coal-fired utility plants and waste incinerators. A study by the University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHSC) has linked the rise in autism cases with proximity to the source of mercury emissions.

• Pesticides– It is a known fact that organophosphates are developmental neurotoixcants, meaning that they are toxic and adversely affect the brain, and there have been many different studies linking the use of organophosphate pesticides to impaired memory, hyperactivity and developmental problems.

• PCBs– Chemicals like PCBs and dioxins do not biodegrade easily and tend to bioaccumulate in the food chain, meaning that they are in the food that we eat. They can also be present in our water and in the air. Unfortunately, PCBs are actually stored in our body's fat stores, rather than being excreted, and are present in our blood and in breastmilk. One statistic says that breastfed babies are actually exposed to 50 times higher levels of dioxin than an average adult! Exposure to these chemicals can lead to attention deficits, lower than average IQs, hyperactivity and learning disabilities.

• Nicotine– We all know that smoking and passive smoking are bad for us and that they cause cancer, but researchers are now linking nicotine to autism and other developmental disorders. Studies have found that smoking mothers have babies who have an increased risk of developing learning disorders, low IQs and attention deficits. Pregnant women who are exposed to passive smoking can have babies who are at a greater risk of low IQs, speech problems and language problems.

• Solvents– Solvents, such as ethanol in alcohol and chemicals found in paints, glues, varnishes and cleaning products, are neurotoxicants which can cause damage to children's brains and also disrupt hormones. Studies have linked solvents to behavioral difficulties, learning problems, impaired memory, low IQs, attention deficits and hyperactivity.

• Vaccines– Everyone who has watched Oprah and Larry King had heard of the vaccine/autism debate and how many children have developed autism symptoms within days of receiving childhood vaccines like the MMR. Generation Rescue, Jenny McCarthy's organization, link the amount of vaccines that children now receive (36 between birth and the age of 6) with the rise in autism.

As you can see from this list of potential autism triggers, pregnant women and children are bombarded every day by these toxins and so they could well be causing autism or triggering it in children who are genetically susceptible.