Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), once an extremely rare condition, has increased to epidemic proportions over the past 20 years. A new study in the Journal of the Australasian College of Nutrition and Environmental Medicine (November 2007) indicates that the electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in our environment may have something to do with ASD increase. In the study, conducted by researchers Tamara J. Mariea and George L. Carlo, the exponential increase in background electromagnetic fields, such as those caused by cell phone towers, shows a parallel increase in ASD.

Autism, the fastest-growing developmental disability in North America according to the Autism Society of America, is a chronic, disabling neurodegenerative disorder and has increased almost six-fold since the 1970s, with the greatest increase in the past decade. In Canada, autism is the most widely diagnosed neurological disorder, with an estimated one in every 166 children affected. While autism's effects are individual, some common issues involve challenges in communicating, socializing and interacting.

The US National Autism Association states, "The autism epidemic is real and not due to changes in diagnosis, population changes, nor is it explained by other factors." Atypical brain development, food allergies, poor nutrition, childhood vaccinations, and genetics have all been considered as causative.

Mariea, who has operated the Internal Balance Clinic in Tennessee since 2000 where she has treated more than 500 children with ASD, says she had an epiphany of sorts in 2005, when she became aware of adverse health effects of EMFs. According to her study coauthor, Dr. George Carlo, the body's built-in protective mechanism causes the membranes of our cells to close its transport channels whenever wireless signal information is detected. This reaction prevents nutrients from entering the cell, and also prevents toxins from being expelled. Inter cellular communication is disrupted, messages are not carried to the immune, nervous
or endocrine systems, and a diseased state evolves.

Mariea had the EMF levels in her clinic minimized. Without changing anything else in her patient's treatment protocol, she noticed a remarkable change in the children in a relatively short time. With less EMF interruptions, symptoms improved. Non-verbal kids began to speak. Mariea kept impeccable data, including urine, stool, and hair samples, and discovered that molecules of heavy metals were showing up in an interesting order. The smaller heavy metal molecules were excreted first. As the cell membrane transport channels gradually enlarged, returning to their normal function, the metals were excreted according to molecular weight, with large molecules like aluminum and mercury being excreted after a few months.

The authors admit that this study, linking wireless technology-related EMFs in the environment to autism, is the first of its kind, and call for other clinicians and scientists to assess and corroborate these findings. With the severity of this burden on the children, their families and society as a whole, this study provides an important, potential new avenue into the treatment and prevention of this serious condition.

HANS consultant and member Milt Bowling is President of the Clean Energy Foundation, which works with the public, industry and government for better regulation and safer technology.

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