Living near a busy road may double risk of autism: study

Volk was especially concerned about exposure to small and very fine pollution particles produced by diesel engines known as PM10s and PM2.5s.

"From studies conducted in the lab, we know that we can breathe in tiny particles and they can produce inflammation. Particles have varied composition, and there are many chemicals that can bind to them. The components of these particles could be hazardous to the brain," she said.

However, British experts were cautious about the findings, saying they did not prove pollution caused autism.

"Although traffic-related air pollution might be one of the contributing factors to the development of autism, other factors cannot be ruled out," Sophia Xiang Sun, from the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University, said.

The findings were published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.

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