Pesticides, a substance or mixture that is intended to prevent, destroy, or repel any pest, are known to be harmful to human health(http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/about/index.htm). There have been recent studies done by researchers at the University of California that show that if a pregnant woman lives within a mile of an area treated with three different types of pesticides, her odds of having a child with autism spectrum disorder increases by two-thirds(http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2014/06/24/pesticide-exposure-during-pregnancy-may-increase-autism-risk/). Mothers that are further along in their pregnancy are more at risk. This is only one example of how the environment we live in can have huge effects on human health. Typically, those who live in the country think they are safe from these types of issues, but the farms near by might be causing us harm. There are pesticides that are not harmful to human health, and using these instead of the harmful ones could potentially be beneficial for the economy. There will be reduced costs on behavioral therapy, special schools, and doctor’s appointments. Obviously eradication of autism is not possible, but we can reduce the number of cases by not introducing harmful chemicals to our environment.