Pesticide exposure doubles risk of ADHD
A growing body of literature provides evidence that pesticides may have a role in the development of ASD and ADHD. The observed pesticide exposures in the epidemiologic studies are incidental and generally low level. They occur prior to conception, during gestation, and in early childhood at critical stages of neurologic development. It is likely for both ASD and ADHD that there are gene–environment interactions. This brief review provides a framework to understand evidence for pesticides in the etiology of ASD and ADHD. The laboratory science provides mechanistic data as well as confirmation of symptoms in controlled dosing experiments. The epidemiological data provide supporting evidence for human outcomes beginning in the earliest stages of childhood development and at exposures well below those resulting in acute toxicity. While the evidence cannot be considered conclusive, the existing data justifies further research.