Monday, February 16, 2026

Exposure to intense wildfire smoke during pregnancy may be linked to increased likelihood of autism

Researchers found strongest associations on very smoky days and in areas with cleaner air overall

University of California - Davis Health

New research suggests that exposure to intense wildfire smoke during pregnancy may be associated with increased likelihood of autism in children. The study, by researchers at UC Davis Health and UCLA, was published in the journal Environment International.

The study of more than 8.6 million births in California is the largest to date examining how wildfire-specific air pollution may impact early neurodevelopment. Scientists combined detailed wildfire smoke data with state birth records from 2001 to 2019. They matched these with autism diagnoses from California Department of Developmental Services through 2022.

The researchers considered the timing and intensity of wildfire smoke exposure, as well as the type of background air pollution that families usually experienced. They focused on wildfire-related PM 2.5, or tiny particles of smoke about 30 times smaller than the diameter of human hair.

High‑intensity wildfire smoke events show strongest associations

Overall, average wildfire smoke levels during pregnancy showed only weak associations with autism diagnosis. But during high‑intensity smoke events — days with particulate levels in the top 10 percent — the associations grew stronger. In regions with generally cleaner air, such as rural areas, it was most pronounced.

“The most intense wildfire smoke exposure is where we see the clearest links,” said UC Davis Health’s Rebecca J. Schmidt, senior author and professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences and the UC Davis MIND Institute. “And these intense wildfire events are becoming more common in the West.”

The researchers estimated wildfire smoke exposure for three months before, during and for one year after pregnancy. They used advanced models of particulate matter that included sources like wildfire maps, air monitors and satellites and adjusted for wind currents and geography.

They separated particulate matter from vegetation burning and from wildland urban interface sources such as homes, vehicles and other materials.

“These models help us understand not just how much smoke was in the air, but where it came from,” said Schmidt, who is also affiliated with the UC Davis Environmental Health Sciences Center.

Among the key findings:

Pregnancies in the top 10 percent of wildfire smoke exposure had a 6% higher likelihood of autism after adjusting for other kinds of air pollution.
In areas with cleaner air, known as low background pollution, the link was much stronger. In these areas, pregnancies in the top 10 percent of wildfire smoke exposure had a 50% higher likelihood of autism.
Very smoky days mattered. When wildfire smoke particles reached 35 micrograms per cubic meter or higher, a level considered very smoky, autism likelihood increased. Lower‑level smoky days did not show the same pattern.
The strongest links were seen in non‑metropolitan areas, where there is generally less pollution from traffic and industry and smoke spikes stand out more.
Smoke from wildland‑urban interface fires — where homes and buildings burn — was linked to higher autism likelihood even in large cities, possibly because these fires release more toxic particles.

Environmental factors and neurodevelopment

Schmidt cautions that the findings do not show that wildfire smoke exposure causes autism. “This study complements existing research that shows environmental exposures during pregnancy can influence development,” she said.

The findings are in line with results from another recent study focused on Southern California. Exposure to intense wildfire smoke during pregnancy has also been associated with preterm delivery and increased birthweight.

Karl O’Sharkey, lead author and epidemiologist at UCLA, noted that the wildfire smoke findings align with earlier work by this team. That research linked prenatal exposure to traffic‑related pollutants like nitrogen dioxide, benzene and nickel to increased likelihood of autism identification.

“Together, these results suggest that air pollution during pregnancy is not a single, uniform exposure, and that the source and composition of pollution, as well as timing and intensity of exposure matter when it comes to neurodevelopment,” O’Sharkey explained.

The authors note that this research underscores the need for targeted policies such as vegetation management, land use planning, indoor filtration upgrades and clean-air shelters.

Study limitations include that fact that estimated smoke exposure relies on the home address at birth, and can’t account for moves, workplace exposures or time spent outdoors. In addition, the state Department of Developmental Services system doesn’t serve all autistic children, so the data are likely an undercount.

The study was funded by a $1.35 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Other authors include Beate Ritz, Sanjali Mitra and Ting Chow of UCLA; and Amanda J. Goodrich, Kathryn C. Conlon, Miriam Nuño, Deborah H. Bennett, Sean Raffuse, Mohammed Astaneh, Yusheng Zhao and Michael Kleeman of UC Davis.

Journal

Environment International

DOI

10.1016/j.envint.2026.110131

Article Title

Prenatal exposure to wildfire-related PM2.5 and autism spectrum disorder in children born in California between 2001–2019

Article Publication Date

6-Feb-2026

When consent meets reality: How young men navigate intimacy

Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health

A new study suggests that young men overwhelmingly support affirmative sexual consent in principle—yet often find its verbal implementation difficult in practice.

The research, led by scholars at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and Melbourne University’s Department of General Practice and Primary Care, explores how young heterosexual men interpret and navigate consent during real-world sexual encounters. The findings were published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy.

In recent years, laws and school programs across many countries have emphasized affirmative or enthusiastic consent, requiring an explicit and ongoing agreement before sexual activity progresses. While these models have established a strong normative standard, sexual encounters themselves often unfold in more fluid and ambiguous ways.

“Because sexual activity without consent is sexual violence, understanding how young men interpret and enact consent remains crucial for reducing sexual harm,” said senior author Jessie Ford, PhD, assistant professor of Sociomedical Sciences. “We found that young men want to get consent right but still struggle with it in real-world interactions. They were clear that sex must be consensual, but the frameworks currently available to them are both impractical and incomplete.”

First author Jossy Forest of the University of Melbourne added: “The boundaries between unwanted but consensual sex and non-consensual sex are often unclear, creating what has been described as a ‘grey area’ between consent and non-consent. Our study underscores a critical disconnect between the language of consent taught in schools and the ways young men actually navigate sexual encounters.”

How the Study Was Conducted

Researchers recruited 35 men aged 18 to 32 through advertisements at the University of Melbourne. All participants had prior sexual experience; 31 identified as heterosexual. Each completed an in-depth interview, and 10 also completed a survey.

“Multi-Factor Authentication”

Participants described a process the researchers termed multi-factor authentication: piecing together an accumulation of cues—sensory signals, trust, location, timing, and other contextual factors—to infer whether consent was present. Verbal “checking-in” was sometimes used, particularly when other signals were unclear. However, many described formal verbal consent as overly procedural—a “box-ticking” exercise that did not necessarily reflect genuine desire.

Rather than relying primarily on explicit verbal requests, “the young men appear to turn to a decision-making system that is less rigid and intellectual and more embodied and intuitive,” says Forrest.

Alcohol and Seductive Clothing

Importantly, participants did not interpret alcohol use or revealing clothing as signals of consent. On the contrary, intoxication often problematized consent and made them less confident that consent was present. The act of undressing during a mutually escalating encounter was viewed as more meaningful than attire itself.

Mutuality and Trust

Almost all participants reported seeking reassurance after sexual encounters that the experience had been consensual and mutually desired. As Ford explains, “Young men seem to know that sex has to be consensual. However, they seem to want to have sex that is more than just consensual—sex that is enjoyable, mutually desired, non-judgmental, and that connects them with their partner.”

Limitations and Future Directions

The authors caution that the findings are not generalizable beyond this relatively small sample. Interviews were conducted by a female researcher, which may have influenced responses, and the data rely on self-reported accounts. Additionally, most participants described experiences within ongoing relationships, limiting insight into first-time encounters or casual hookups.

The researchers say future research should seek to capture multiple perspectives, diverse contexts, and longitudinal patterns to better understand how consent is negotiated across different types of sexual encounters.

Background on Sexual Violence

Globally, sexual violence remains a major public health concern. The World Health Organization estimates that at least one in three women worldwide experiences physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. Rates among men are more difficult to estimate due to underreporting, but studies suggest that between one in sixteen and one in six boys or men experience sexual abuse or victimization.

Background on the Researchers

Jessie Ford is a sociologist whose research explores how expectations and inequalities around gender and sexuality shape sexual health, violence, and pleasure. She is a leading proponent of sex-positive epidemiology that considers and incorporates pleasure, satisfaction, and well-being alongside familiar outcomes such as sexually transmitted infections. To this end, she has introduced a set of indicators to assess broad progress in sexual health outcomes with a positive, holistic focus on sexual health. Last year, she participated in the inaugural World Sexual Health Assembly. Recently, she published research on third-gender muxe individuals in southern Mexico.

Jossy is a PhD Candidate at the University of Melbourne with a background in human development, conflict resolution, mindfulness, and compassion-based practices.

The current research study was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program scholarship. The authors declare no potential conflict of interest.

Journal

Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy

DOI

10.1080/0092623X.2026.2618492

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Multi-Factor Authentication: Young Men’s Intuited Approach to Consensual Sex

OHSU-led research initiative examines supervised psilocybin

Five-year, $3.3 million award is first to study the effect of psychedelic services in community settings

Oregon Health & Science University

A federally funded research initiative will enable researchers at Oregon Health & Science University and other organizations to assess the safety and effectiveness of state-regulated access to psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms.

The five-year, $3.3 million award is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health — a first.

“This is the first federally funded work to study the impact of legal psychedelic services delivered in community settings,” said co-principal investigator Adie Rae, Ph.D., a scientist at the Legacy Research Institute in Portland and co-director of the Oregon Psychedelic Evaluation Nexis, or OPEN. “There is an urgent need to assess the safety of these programs and their impact on substance use before more voters and policymakers are asked to consider their merits and drawbacks.”

In 2023, Oregon became the first state to permit state-regulated access, for people 21 and older, to supervised services involving mind-altering magic mushrooms. This followed a ballot initiative approved by voters in 2020. Colorado subsequently followed suit.

“We expect our project will generate evidence to inform other states considering legal frameworks for psychedelic services,” said co-PI Todd Korthuis, M.D., M.P.H., co-director of OPEN and professor of medicine (general internal medicine and geriatrics) in the OHSU School of Medicine. “Only about 3,000 people have participated in all psychedelic clinical trials combined since the 1950s. This project is an opportunity to learn from tens of thousands of people who will access psilocybin services in Oregon.”

Public interest has been fueled by promising results in recent years from early clinical trials in depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

OHSU President Shereef Elnahal, M.D., M.B.A., said he expects the research to be groundbreaking.

“Oregon’s experience affords a unique opportunity to inform and shape public understanding of the potential benefits and side effects of psilocybin. In effect, Oregon is a laboratory for policymakers around the country,” he said. “This research will be critically important to learn the safety and efficacy profile of psychedelics for mental health treatment.”

Focused on substance use

The OHSU-led initiative will specifically examine psilocybin’s effect on people with substance use disorders.

“If you look at clinical trials conducted so far, the evidence suggests psilocybin may decrease symptoms of depression similar to existing antidepressants,” Rae said. “Even though there is some emerging literature about the effect of psychedelics on tobacco cessation and in the treatment of alcohol use disorder, we need more research to better understand the effect of psychedelics on substance use.”

Korthuis, head of addiction medicine at OHSU, agrees.

“Preliminary data from Oregon show that people are already accessing psilocybin services to help manage substance use,” he said. “The current study will allow us to better understand how accessing state psilocybin services impacts use of alcohol, nicotine and other substance over time.”

Even though psilocybin and other psychedelics have been used for millennia, researchers and state regulators are only beginning to apply modern scientific rigor to the field.

In 2024, an OHSU-led research team published a set of 22 key measures of high-quality services following a series of interviews conducted with experts who have experience facilitating psilocybin use within clinical trials, in ceremonial settings and in traditional indigenous practices.

Oregon is first

Oregon is the first state to permit state-regulated access to psilocybin, but Rae expects other states will follow. Ultimately, it’s possible that it may become a widely accepted therapy.

“I would compare it to something like acupuncture,” Rae said. “With enough evidence that accumulated over time, it became clear that acupuncture treatment reduced other health care costs. The Oregon psilocybin program could wind up in the same zone, as something that’s essentially considered to be alternative medicine.”

Psychedelics may not work for everyone, but they offer hope for many people who struggle with substance use disorder, said co-PI Ryan Cook, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine.

“People have strong viewpoints when it comes to psychedelics,” he said. “I’m excited to do this study because we are going to rigorously collect and evaluate the data in a way that has never been done before.”

Researchers have already gathered preliminary data from over 300 clients of Oregon psilocybin service providers who have agreed to participate in the research. Researchers are aiming to enlist at least 1,600 willing research participants over the next five years — a significant proportion of the estimated 15,000 people who have participated in psilocybin services statewide in the first two years it’s been officially permitted.

Participants will fill out a baseline survey, followed by six subsequent surveys and interviews for 12 months following their initial psilocybin treatment session.

The study will recruit participants who want to reduce their use of intoxicating substances with and without psilocybin services. It will then compare the outcomes of each group, including potential safety risks and benefits. The researchers will aim to identify specific substances and subpopulations that may be responsive to psilocybin’s effects.

Psilocybin remains a Schedule 1 controlled substance under federal law, along with cannabis, heroin and others.

“Ultimately, people want to know how safe this is, what is the likelihood their symptoms will improve, what are the side effects, and any challenging experiences they should expect,” Rae said. “Right now, we don’t have much to tell clients about any of those things.”

The research is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health, award R01DA060253. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

SEE

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for LSD

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for PSYCHEDELIC

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for PSYCHEDELIC SASKATCHEWAN

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for MAGIC MUSHROOMS

New review identifies pathways for managing PFAS waste in semiconductor manufacturing

University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering

As semiconductor manufacturing rapidly expands to meet growing global demand for generative AI and advanced electronics, a new review published in Environmental Science & Technology assesses the current state of science, technology and policy around managing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) waste in the industry and outlines recommendations for a path forward.

PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” play a central role in modern chipmaking due to their unique properties and essential function in complex chemical processes like photolithography and etching, yet their links to environmental and health concerns pose an ongoing challenge for the industry.

“Managing the waste from these facilities is a massive undertaking,” said Xiao Su, a professor in chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who advised on the review. “A single large factory can produce thousands of cubic meters of wastewater per day, containing a ‘soup’ of diverse PFAS mixed with various solvents, metals and salts.”

A National Science Foundation-funded workshop held in August 2024 convened experts from academia, industry and government to discuss solutions to the problem. The review paper resulted from that meeting.

“This review is really a consensus statement on where we see the field right now, and where it needs to go for the semiconductor PFAS problem to be solved in a way that allows the industry to grow sustainably,” said lead co-author Devashish Gokhale, a postdoctoral researcher in Su’s research group at Illinois.

Gabriel A. Cerrón-Calle, School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at Arizona State University, and Mitchell L. Kim-Fu, Department of Chemistry at Oregon State University, are the other lead co-authors.

The paper, which synthesized insights from the workshop and over 160 published studies, highlights three priority areas for addressing PFAS waste in semiconductor manufacturing: improved monitoring, effective separation and safe destruction.

The authors explored how advanced tools such as AI paired with advanced, high‑resolution mass spectrometry could help identify where PFAS originate, and how they transform during processing. They also examined technologies for breaking chemical bonds, including plasma discharge and electrochemical oxidation, as well as much needed separation methods for concentration, including novel absorbents, membranes and electrochemical approaches.

Many of these technologies were originally developed for municipal water systems, however, and significant adaptation would be needed to handle the complexity of industrial waste.

“Traditional water treatment methods often fail to catch these chemicals, especially the ‘short’ and ‘ultrashort-chain’ versions that are common in semiconductor waste,” Su said. “Furthermore, because many chemical formulas are proprietary trade secrets, researchers often struggle to even identify exactly which PFAS are present in the waste streams.”

“There's also this challenge of how everything is so integrated and how many steps it has,” Gokhale said. “A typical semiconductor fabrication facility could easily have hundreds or even a thousand manufacturing steps, and these are all integrated with each other. If you develop new treatment solutions, they need to be able to fit inside this complex operation without affecting everything else that's highly optimized.”

Beyond technical challenges, the paper identifies several other areas that need to be considered for progress to happen. These include gaining a better understanding of PFAS’ transmutable chemical properties, determining the likely direction of future regulations, gaining access to real industrial waste streams for lab work, and scaling up lab technologies for industrial settings.

Because interest in finding solutions to the PFAS problem in semiconductor manufacturing continues to increase, Gokhale sees this as an exciting time for researchers in the area.

“There are a lot of high-value applications in the semiconductor industry, which is growing very rapidly,” he said. “This is really a unique opportunity for folks to translate their academic research into industrial practice in an area where there could be significant industrial investment and government interest.”

The paper makes clear that deeper collaboration between industry, academia and policymakers is critical for finding solutions to the issues outlined in the review.

“The ultimate goal is to integrate these tools into compact, cost-effective systems that can be implemented in either existing or future space-constrained factories,” Su said. “By fostering partnerships between academia, government and industry, the sector aims to reach a ‘zero-discharge’ future that supports both technological advancement and environmental safety.”

In addition to Su, professors Jennifer A. Field, Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology at Oregon State University, and Paul Westerhoff, School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at Arizona State University, co-supervised the paper, which also includes the contributions of numerous workshop participants from both industry and academia.

The review was supported by the National Science Foundation’s Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET) under grant #2432110.

Editor’s Note:

To reach Xiao Su, email x2su@illinois.edu; Jennifer Field, email jennifer.field@oregonstate.edu; Paul Westerhoff, email: p.westerhoff@asu.edu

The paper, “Challenges and Opportunities in PFAS Waste Management for Semiconductor Manufacturing,” is available online at doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5c10109.

Journal

Environmental Science & Technology

DOI

10.1021/acs.est.5c10109

Article Title

Challenges and Opportunities in PFAS Waste Management for Semiconductor Manufacturing

Article Publication Date

11-Feb-2026