Publication: CNN, HealthDayNews

UCLA Expert: Beate Ritz: Professor, Fielding School of Public Health; Professor, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability; Faculty, Center for Occupational & Environmental Health

Synopsis: A new study found a higher risk of autism spectrum disorder in children exposed to tap water with higher levels of lithium. Autism is characterized by problems with social interaction, communication and behavior. About 1 in 36 children in the United States have the disorder, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April is Autism Awareness Month.

UCLA News: “Any drinking water contaminants that may affect the developing human brain deserve intense scrutiny,” Ritz said in a news release. She added that the research would need to be replicated in other countries to look for a similar connection. "Maternal prenatal exposure to lithium from naturally occurring drinking water sources in Denmark was associated with an increased autism spectrum disorder risk in the offspring. This suggests a potential fetal neurotoxicity of lithium exposure from drinking water that needs to be further investigated."

Read more at CNN, HealthDayNews.