Posted on Thu, May. 01, 2008

Emissions, autism are linked, study says

By JAN JARVIS

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

A possible link between mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants and higher autism rates in Texas was the focus of a rally Wednesday outside the federal courthouse in Dallas.

The rally was prompted by a new study that shows a "statistically significant" association between autism rates in the state and the distance from mercury-emitting plants.

The study found that the closer a school is to a mercury source, the higher the rate of autism, said Raymond Palmer, lead author and associate professor of family and community medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

But he is quick to point out that the study did not look at how people are exposed or who is at risk for autism. Mercury from other sources and genetic susceptibility must also be considered, he said.

"This is just a piece of the puzzle," Palmer said.

What the study found

Autism prevalence diminished by 2 percent for every 10 miles of distance from a mercury source.

The analysis looked at 39 coal-fired power plants, 56 industrial facilities and 1,040 school districts.

Reaction from energy company representatives

The study fails to make a link between the release of mercury emissions and autism, said Lucy Fraiser, a toxicologist with the Clean Coal Technology Foundation of Texas, a nonprofit association of energy companies.

The report that autism rates decrease for every 10 miles of distance from the mercury source is counterintuitive to what is known about mercury and coal-fired power plants. The type of mercury from power plants is known to travel 1,000 miles before it is deposited. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that less than half of all mercury deposited in the nation comes from U.S. sources.

Reaction from advocacy groups and parents

Mika Bradford of Keller, who has two children with a type of autism, said the study draws attention to the need for people to be more proactive in addressing mercury emissions. "This may be the canary in the coal mine, and it is having an effect on what we all breathe," she said.

Three new coal-fired power plants are planned in Texas, which is the worst in the nation for coal plant emissions, according to Karen Hadden of the Sustainable Energy & Economic Development Coalition.