Just traces of drugs appear to bring on disorder Scientists test fish swimming in water contaminated with low levels of medication Disorder appears to be combination of environmental and genetic factors
By Emma Reynolds
PUBLISHED: 04:19 EST, 7 June 2012 | UPDATED: 05:28 EST, 7 June 2012
Autism in genetically vulnerable people could be triggered by very low levels of chemicals found in the water supply, researchers have discovered.
Experts from the University of Idaho in the US were 'astonished' to find that just traces of common medication such as anti-depressants can bring on the disorder.
They made the discovery by observing the changes in the genetic pathways of fish swimming in water contaminated with psychoactive drugs.
Flushed away: Traces of psychoactive drugs found in our water supply could trigger developmental disorders, scientists believe
Lead scientist Dr Michael Thomas said: 'While others have envisioned a causal role for psychotropic drugs in idiopathic autism, we were astonished to find evidence that this might occur at very low dosages, such as those found in aquatic systems.'
The fish were exposed to two kinds of anti-depressants - Prozac and venlafaxine - and a drug used to control seizures, called carbamazepine.
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Autism 'could be triggered by very low doses of anti-depressants and chemicals found in water supply'