Lithium in Drinking Water: Uncovering Links to Autism Risk and Environmental Factors

Lithium in Drinking Water: Uncovering Links to Autism Risk and Environmental Factors

A study published on April 3 in JAMA Pediatrics is thought to be the first to recognize naturally occurring lithium in drinking water as a potential environmental risk factor for autism. “Any contaminants in drinking water that could impact the developing human brain warrant serious investigation,” stated the lead author of the study, Beate Ritz, MD, PhD, a professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a professor of epidemiology and environmental health at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.