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Environmental Conditions and Autism Spectrum Disorders
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Environmental Conditions and Autism Spectrum Disorders

A special issue of Journal of Xenobiotics (ISSN 2039-4713).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 11028

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Becky Talyn

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Natural Sciences, California State University, San Bernardino, CA, USA
Interests: herbicide; toxicology; glyphosate; Drosophila; reproduction
Prof. Dr. Teresa Dodd-Butera

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Nursing, Azusa Pacific University, 901 E. Alosta Ave., Azusa, CA, USA
Interests: toxicology; maternal-child health; public health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 1 in 44 8-year-old children have Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Incidence of ASD have increased dramatically over the last several decades. There is no known single cause identified for this increasing trend, but recent studies have found certain associated factors in environmental conditions, genetics, sex, and health insurance status. Understanding causes of the increase in ASD frequency is complicated by this likely contribution of multiple factors. For example, exposures to air pollution, organophosphates, herbicides, and stress related to disasters have been investigated as factors related to ASD.  This special issue, “Environmental Conditions and Autism Spectrum Disorders” aims to bring together information that addresses the relationship between a variety of environmental factors (broadly defined) that contribute to ASD. The specific aims are to explore trends, mechanisms, and circumstances of toxic exposures and environmental stressors and the associated role in  ASD.

Dr. Becky Talyn
Prof. Dr. Teresa Dodd-Butera
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Xenobiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • autism spectrum disorders
  • environmental factors
  • toxic exposures
  • pesticides
  • natural disaster preparedness
  • pollution

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 668 KiB  
Article
An Exploratory Investigation of Organic Chemicals Detected in Baby Teeth: Differences in Children with and without Autism
by Raymond F. Palmer
J. Xenobiot. 2024, 14(1), 404-415; https://doi.org/10.3390/jox14010025 - 14 Mar 2024
Viewed by 2038
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in language, communication, and social function with an estimated prevalence rate of between 1 in 30 and 44 U.S. births. Gene/environment (G × E) interactions are widely regarded as the [...] Read more.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in language, communication, and social function with an estimated prevalence rate of between 1 in 30 and 44 U.S. births. Gene/environment (G × E) interactions are widely regarded as the most probable explanation for idiopathic ASD, especially because some genes are selectively targeted by various environmental xenobiotics. Because deciduous teeth are a likely biomarker of in utero exposure, the present study investigated if the quantity of chemicals found in deciduous teeth differs between children with and without ASD. Twenty-two deciduous teeth from children with ASD and 20 teeth from typically developed children were prepared and analyzed using THE Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (GC × GC-TOF MS) with ChromaTOF version 23H2 software and Agilent 7890 gas chromatograph. The autism sample had significantly more chemicals in their teeth than the typical developing sample (99.4 vs. 80.7, respectively) (p < 0.0001). The majority of chemicals were identified as phthalates, plasticizers, pesticides, preservatives, or intermediary solvents used in the production of fragranced personal care or cleaning products or flavoring agents in foods. The known toxic analytes reported in this study are likely biomarkers of developmental exposure. Why there were greater concentrations of toxic chemicals in the teeth that came from children with ASD is unclear. A further understanding of the cavalcade of multiple biological system interactions (Interactome) could help with future efforts to reduce risks. Notwithstanding, the avoidance of pesticides, plastics, and scented personal care products may be warranted under the precautionary principle rule. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Conditions and Autism Spectrum Disorders)
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18 pages, 2303 KiB  
Article
Assessing Chemical Intolerance in Parents Predicts the Risk of Autism and ADHD in Their Children
by Raymond F. Palmer, David Kattari, Rodolfo Rincon and Claudia S. Miller
J. Xenobiot. 2024, 14(1), 350-367; https://doi.org/10.3390/jox14010022 - 5 Mar 2024
Viewed by 5864
Abstract
Background: We sought to replicate our 2015 findings linking chemical intolerance in parents with the risk of their children developing autism and/or ADHD. Drawing upon our 2021 discovery of a strong association between chemical intolerance and mast cells, we propose an explanation for [...] Read more.
Background: We sought to replicate our 2015 findings linking chemical intolerance in parents with the risk of their children developing autism and/or ADHD. Drawing upon our 2021 discovery of a strong association between chemical intolerance and mast cells, we propose an explanation for this link. Methods: In a population-based survey of U.S. adults, we used the internationally validated Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI) to assess symptom severity and chemical intolerance. Parents were asked how many of their biological children had been diagnosed with autism and/or ADHD. Results: Parents with chemical intolerance scores in the top versus bottom tenth percentile had 5.7 times the risk of reporting a child with autism and 2.1 times for ADHD. Conclusions: High chemical intolerance scores among parents of children with autism, coupled with our 2021 discovery of mast cell activation as a plausible biomechanism for chemical intolerance, suggest that (1) the QEESI can identify individuals at increased risk, (2) environmental counseling may reduce personal exposures and risk, and (3) the global rise in autism and ADHD may be due to fossil-fuel-derived and biogenic toxicants epigenetically “turning on” or “turning off” critical mast cell genes that can be transmitted transgenerationally. It is important to note that this study was observational in nature; as such, further research is needed using controlled trials to confirm causality and explore the proposed mechanism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Conditions and Autism Spectrum Disorders)
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Graphical abstract

8 pages, 998 KiB  
Communication
Becoming aWARE: The Development of a Web-Based Tool for Autism Research and the Environment
by Anisha Singh, Cindy P. Lawler, Vickie R. Walker, Katherine E. Pelch, Amanda E. Garton, Andrew A. Rooney and Astrid C. Haugen
J. Xenobiot. 2023, 13(3), 492-499; https://doi.org/10.3390/jox13030031 - 13 Sep 2023
Viewed by 2115
Abstract
A sharp rise in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence estimates, beginning in the 1990s, suggested factors additional to genetics were at play. This stimulated increased research investment in nongenetic factors, including the study of environmental chemical exposures, diet, nutrition, lifestyle, social factors, and [...] Read more.
A sharp rise in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence estimates, beginning in the 1990s, suggested factors additional to genetics were at play. This stimulated increased research investment in nongenetic factors, including the study of environmental chemical exposures, diet, nutrition, lifestyle, social factors, and maternal medical conditions. Consequently, both peer- and non-peer-reviewed bodies of evidence investigating environmental contributors to ASD etiology have grown significantly. The heterogeneity in the design and conduct of this research results in an inconclusive and unwieldy ‘virtual stack’ of publications. We propose to develop a Web-based tool for Autism Research and the Environment (aWARE) to comprehensively aggregate and assess these highly variable and often conflicting data. The interactive aWARE tool will use an approach for the development of systematic evidence maps (SEMs) to identify and display all available relevant published evidence, enabling users to explore multiple research questions within the scope of the SEM. Throughout tool development, listening sessions and workshops will be used to seek perspectives from the broader autism community. New evidence will be indexed in the tool annually, which will serve as a living resource to investigate the association between environmental factors and ASD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Conditions and Autism Spectrum Disorders)
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