This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah has the highest rate of autism in the country. More Utahns live in Salt Lake County than any other part of the state.
Federal litigation has recently commenced against Rio Tinto for spewing into the air 30 percent of Salt Lake County's pollution, including toxic heavy metals.
The science of epigenetics shows how environment can negatively influence gene expression.
Toxic heavy metals circulating in the fetal bloodstream from a pregnant mother's exposure to these metals cannot be healthy for Utah babies.
I look forward to research investigating the link between exposure to airborne toxic heavy metals in Salt Lake County and autism rates compared to parts of the country where airborne toxic heavy metals are not among the highest in the nation.
Virginia Curtis Lee
Salt Lake City