The Bakersfield Californian (pg. B1)  [Printer-friendly version]
July 31, 2007

STUDY ON AUTISM IN VALLEY WORRYING

[Rachel's introduction: Many scientists suspect autism may be a
genetic disorder that is triggered by environmental influences. Now
researchers are beginning to home in on the environmental triggers.]

By Lisa Schencker, Californian Staff Writer

Expectant mothers who lived near Central Valley fields sprayed with
certain types of pesticides during the mid- to late 1990s were six
times more likely to have children with autism spectrum disorders,
according to a California Department of Public Health study published
Monday.

The study found that mothers who lived near places with the pesticides
endosulfan and dicofol during their first trimesters were more likely
to have children with autism spectrum disorders than mothers who did
not live near the chemicals. That doesn't necessarily mean the
pesticides caused the autism, but some experts say the results of the
study warrant a closer look at a possible connection.

"We're just kind of indicating there's a ray of hope that we may have
found an association," said California Department of Public Health
Director Dr. Mark Horton.

People with autism spectrum disorders, which are developmental
disorders, generally have problems communicating and interpreting the
world around them to varying degrees. No one knows exactly what causes
the disorders, and there's no known cure.

The disorders affect about one out of every 150 U.S. children.

This latest study, which was published on the Web site of the
Environmental Health Perspectives journal Monday, urges further study
of pesticides and autism. Experts say it's the first study of its
kind.

"The jury is really still out as to what's going on," said Rudy Rull,
a research scientist with the Northern California Cancer Center who
studies pesticides and birth defects. "It's something to think about
as another possibility."

The study looked at 465 children with autism spectrum disorders born
during 1996 to 1998 in 19 Central Valley counties and compared them
with 6,975 other children born during the same period.

It found that among 29 women living within 500 meters of the most
heavily sprayed areas during their first trimesters, eight children
had autism spectrum disorders, a rate six times higher than in the
control group.

Kern County ranked fifth in the state in 2005 in terms of the number
of pounds of the two pesticides used, according to the Pesticide
Action Network.

Kern County Department of Agriculture/Measurement Standards Assistant
Director Louie Cervantes declined to comment on the study Monday.

California Department of Pesticide Regulation spokesman Glenn Brank
said the department will be taking a closer look at the pesticides.

"We're going to be working very closely with the state department of
public health," Brank said. "The implications of this study certainly
are of great concern to us although you can note from the report
itself there is a lot more research that needs to be done before any
firm conclusions can be drawn."

Brank said the study results probably won't affect the state's
agricultural industry too much because farmers are already using less
of the two pesticides.

In 2005, California farmers used 83,000 pounds of endosulfin compared
with 154,000 pounds of endosulfin in 2004. In 2005, California farmers
used 102,000 pounds of dicofol compared with 198,000 pounds in 2004,
Brank said.

He said the two chemicals combined make up less than 1 percent of
total pesticide use in the state.

Though the study raises questions about a link between pesticides and
autism, many are considering the results cautiously. Over the years,
many have come forward with guesses about what causes autism, and this
might be just one more until scientists can gather more evidence, said
Kern Autism Network Vice President Carl Twisselman.

Twisselman said pesticides, for example, couldn't explain his
grandson's autism spectrum disorder. Many think the disorders are
caused by a combination of factors, both environmental and/or genetic.

"I just don't think you could act on a study of that nature until it
was a long-term thing," Twisselman said. "At this point I wouldn't
make any changes in my life or my children's lives or in where I live
on the basis of a study like that."

Pablo Rodriguez, a member of the study's advisory group and director
of the Dolores Huerta Community Organizing Institute, said he hopes
this study is only the beginning of the discussion.

"It's important for the people of the Central Valley to advocate for
continued study, more information and access to that information so we
can make the best decisions to sustain agriculture," Rodriguez said.
"We need more information to make the best possible decisions for our
communities."

lschencker@bakersfield.com

Copyright, 2007, The Bakersfield Californian