--- title: Is There a Link Between Autism and Air Pollution? description: Study Finds Possible Association Between Autism and Air Pollution canonical: https://time.com/3893669/air-pollution-autism-research-health/ author: David Stout article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-22T07:19:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T07:33:36.124Z article:section: Health og:title: Study Finds Possible Link Between Autism and Pollution og:description: The condition may be linked to early exposure to fine particulate air pollution. og:url: https://time.com/3893669/air-pollution-autism-research-health/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt842ecd52f0fed0b1/69885148f887dc2d47e90981/air-pollution.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: 479869419 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Study Finds Possible Link Between Autism and Pollution twitter:description: The condition may be linked to early exposure to fine particulate air pollution. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt842ecd52f0fed0b1/69885148f887dc2d47e90981/air-pollution.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Study Finds Possible Association Between Autism and Air Pollution by [David Stout](https://time.com/author/david-stout/) ## David Stout May 22, 2015 7:19 AM UTC  Two red smoke stack Two red smoke stackGetty Images by [David Stout](https://time.com/author/david-stout/) ## David Stout May 22, 2015 7:19 AM UTC A new study from the University of Pittsburgh[ suggests ](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150521121049.htm)that exposure to fine particulate air pollution from pregnancy up and through the first two years of childhood may be linked with developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health conducted “a population-based, case-control study” of families living in southwestern Pennsylvania, which included children with and without ASD, reports Science Daily. The research team was then able to estimate an individual’s exposure to specific categories of air pollution based on where their mothers lived before, during and after pregnancy. “There is increasing and compelling evidence that points to associations between Pittsburgh’s poor air quality and health problems, especially those affecting our children and including issues such as autism spectrum disorder and asthma,” said Grant Oliphant, president of the Heinz Endowments, which funded the research project. However, the members of the study stressed that their findings “reflect an association” but does not ultimately prove causality. \[[_Science Daily_](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150521121049.htm)\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3893669/air-pollution-autism-research-health/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3893669/air-pollution-autism-research-health/"},"headline":"Study Finds Possible Association Between Autism and Air Pollution","datePublished":"2015-05-22T07:19:12.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T07:33:36.124Z","description":"Research suggests that early exposure to air pollution may have wide-ranging negative effects","url":"https://time.com/3893669/air-pollution-autism-research-health/","keywords":["Research","Autism","Air Pollution"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt842ecd52f0fed0b1/69885148f887dc2d47e90981/air-pollution.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"David Stout","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/david-stout/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt842ecd52f0fed0b1/69885148f887dc2d47e90981/air-pollution.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"479869419","caption":"479869419","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/research/","name":"Research"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3893669/air-pollution-autism-research-health/","name":"Study Finds Possible Association Between Autism and Air Pollution"}}]}] ```