Palmer Raymond F, Blanchard Steven, Stein Zachary, Mandell David, Miller Claudia
University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio Department of Family and Community Medicine, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900, USA.
Health Place. 2006 Jun;12(2):203-9. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2004.11.005.
The association between environmentally released mercury, special education and autism rates in Texas was investigated using data from the Texas Education Department and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. A Poisson regression analysis adjusted for school district population size, economic and demographic factors was used. There was a significant increase in the rates of special education students and autism rates associated with increases in environmentally released mercury. On average, for each 1,000 lb of environmentally released mercury, there was a 43% increase in the rate of special education services and a 61% increase in the rate of autism. The association between environmentally released mercury and special education rates were fully mediated by increased autism rates. This ecological study suggests the need for further research regarding the association between environmentally released mercury and developmental disorders such as autism. These results have implications for policy planning and cost analysis.
利用得克萨斯州教育部和美国环境保护局的数据，对得克萨斯州环境释放汞与特殊教育及自闭症发病率之间的关联进行了调查。采用了针对学区人口规模、经济和人口因素进行调整的泊松回归分析。环境释放汞的增加与特殊教育学生率和自闭症发病率的显著上升有关。平均而言，每1000磅环境释放汞，特殊教育服务率增加43%，自闭症发病率增加61%。环境释放汞与特殊教育率之间的关联完全由自闭症发病率的增加所介导。这项生态学研究表明，有必要进一步研究环境释放汞与自闭症等发育障碍之间的关联。这些结果对政策规划和成本分析具有启示意义。
