ArticleFrontiers in neuroscience2026
Association between historical lead exposure, population density, and autism prevalence: a county-level ecological study in Norway.
Article in Frontiers in neuroscience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence has increased markedly across high-income countries, including Norway, yet environmental drivers remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that historical lead exposure may inversely associate with ASD risk and potentially suppress the effects of vehicle emissions associated with urbanicity. Methods: We conducted a county-level ecological study using ASD prevalence data from the Norwegian Patient Register for children aged 6-12 years (born 1999-2005). Mean dental lead concentrations, measured in deciduous teeth collected between 1990 and 1994 ( Results: Dental lead levels were inversely associated with ASD prevalence ( Conclusion: Higher historical lead exposure was associated with lower ASD prevalence in Norway. Declining lead exposure may have unmasked the neurodevelopmental effects of vehicle emissions. These findings support further investigation into metal interactions and highlight the complexity of environmental influences on ASD risk.
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