Pretty powerful evidence of effect of air pollution on autism. We’re looking at 3 times the risk when exposed to higher level of pollution.
Are we sure mission was accomplished in the 90’s?[/quote]The work is severely flawed. One of the problems if multivariate statistical analysis is correlated independent variables. Because their population sample may have correlated independent variables, the author could remove one of the variables for correlation w/o telling the readers. The reason to remove the independent variable would be decrease heteroscedasticity which could invalidate the correlation if too high. I don’t see multiple multivariate runs with potential cross-correlated variables, which is supposed to be done when you consider removing an independent variable.
Outside of the ‘statistics talk’ above, there is an easy way to cross-check the study.
Cigarette smoking used to be prevalent during the 1960s, even during gestation. If the mother didn’t smoke, there was second hand smoke in excess to compensate.
Cigarette smoke contains Oxides of Nitrogen, Hydrocarbons, Carbon Monoxide, Particulate matter, Arsenic.. well above levels produced by a vehicle.
Now, we are much more aware of the effects of Cigarette smoking.. and fewer mothers smoke during gestation… yet autism rates are up. (not to mention what no_such_reality pointed out)
During the 1700s to early 1900s, most heat was produced by burning wood in the house, with all of its pollution by products. (but utism rates are up when compared to this period of time.)
American Indians would often have a small fire within their teepee pre 1900s.. the inside often being quite smokey.
The authors of the study don’t mention if they filter for smoking vs. non smoking households.
The authors do not state which part of the autism spectrum disorder, and which degree of the disorder is being considered as a child with autism. There has been some indication that some children are diagnosed as having autism when they just want to be left alone (over involved parent?)
The authors do not state whether they are eliminating or controlling for subjects that had inoculation shots (The preservative for most vaccines is mercury based, which does correlate to damage to the brain) as well as the number of inoculations (mercury exposure)
The authors do not state whether they are correlating with use of silver amalgam in fillings for children in their temporary teeth (silver amalgam contains a fair amount of mercury).
The authors have not considered the potential latent genetic defects that could be caused by the use of recreational substances/chemicals.. the use of which increased after 1960.
