Exposure of children with autism spectrum disorders to mercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Purpose
Autism is described as a developmental disorder with numerous impairments in the functioning of the central nervous system. Contact with poisonous chemicals present in the environment and food is a major factor which interferes with attempts to minimize the symptoms of this disorder. Thus, the effectiveness of the use of natural mechanisms for the elimination of toxins from organisms in the case of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may not be sufficient. As part of the evaluation of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and mercury compounds, the determination of the presence of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) in urine samples and total mercury in the hair and urine of children with ASD and a control group originating from the Upper Silesian region was carried out.

Methods
Thermal decomposition of mercury compounds, amalgamation and determination of its total concentration by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) was carried out. 1-OHP was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector after prior sample preparation by solid phase extraction (SPE).

Results
The median mercury concentration was 0.142 μg/g for hair samples and 0.165 μg/g creatinine for urine samples in the group of children with ASD, while for the control group 0.102 μg/g of hair and 0.140 μg/g creatinine were obtained respectively. The median concentration of 1-OHP in urine for the ASD group was 173.769 ng/g creatinine, while for the control group it was 124.157 ng/g creatinine.

Conclusions
No significant difference in the concentrations of both total mercury and 1-OHP between the test and control groups were observed. There was no increased exposure of children with ASD to environmental factors compared to healthy children.