Assessment of hair aluminium, cobalt, and mercury in a specimen of autistic Iraqi patients: Environmental risk factors of heavy metals in autism

Abstract

Autism is a severe developmental disease characterized by social disengagement, communication impairments, and repetitive/stereotypic behaviour. Although the pathophysiological etiologies of autism remain obscure and contentious in many cases, genetic and environmental variables (and their interactions) have been identified. While autism is recognized to have multiple causative reasons, ecological variables have gained considerable attention. The Global debate has centred on neurotoxins such as Mercury, Cobalt, and Aluminium, with some claiming that these and other toxic metals contribute to the disorder's development. The study is performed in Al-Anbar province (Iraq) between march to December 2020. Seventy-five autistic patients suffered from ASD characterized by DSM-V compared with twenty-five control. Heavy metals and trace element Mercury, aluminum, and cobalt in hair specimens are measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer are shown as higher in Aluminium concentration in patients versus healthy Control, and Global Value, more than Aluminium contributed as environmental risk-factor for ASD, While the level of Cobalt is described high in children with autistic and slightly in healthy Control compare with Global Value. These results come from environmental contaminated in Iraq's. Additively, Mercury concentration is significantly higher in autistic patients than in Control. Still, the concentration of both autism and Control typical compared with Global Value and Mercury consider no-environmental risk-factor for Iraqi community’s.