A study has discovered a potential connection between storing chemicals in a home garage and an increased risk of ALS. Research has also shown that exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides and volatile organic compounds is associated with the development of ALS. Scientists refer to the accumulation of these lifetime exposures as the ALS exposome. The University of Michigan researchers have been investigating this link for the past decade.ALS exposome, an accumulation of exposures, may be linked to leisure activities like woodworking and gardening. A study from Michigan Medicine suggests that storing chemicals in a home garage could be tied to a higher risk of developing ALS. The findings were published in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration. Stephen Goutman, M.D., M.S., director of the Pranger ALS, emphasized the importance of identifying disease-causing exposures to inform interventions for reducing risk and the burden of ALS.Clinic and associate director of the ALS Center of Excellence at University of Michigan.
“Exposures in the home setting are a crucial part of the ALS exposome, as it is a place where making changes in behavior could potentially reduce the risk of ALS.”
Storing volatile chemicals in garages is very common, whether it’s for a car, motorcycle, tools like a chainsaw, or substances such as solvents, cleaners, paints, and other items.
Researchers examined exposures in the residential setting through a survey of over 600 participants, including both people with and without ALS. Through statistical analysis, they discovered that certain types of exposures may be associated with an increased risk of ALS.It was found that storing chemicals such as gasoline, lawn care products, pesticides, paint, and woodworking supplies was strongly linked to the risk of ALS. The chemicals reported to be associated with the development of the disease were all volatile and contained toxic components. Many participants stated that they stored multiple items in their attached garage. However, storing chemicals in a detached garage did not show as much of a connection to the risk. Researchers suggest that the flow of air and airborne pollutants from attached garages to living spaces could be a possible explanation for this discovery. This is especially true in colder environments.In warmer climates, when the entry door is opened, air from the garage tends to move into the house, and there is a continuous flow of air through small cracks and openings in walls and floors,” stated Stuart Batterman, Ph.D., a professor of environmental health science at the U-M School of Public Health and the senior author of the study. “Therefore, it is logical that storing volatile chemicals in an attached garage would have a stronger impact.”
To address this issue, the latest building codes now include measures to reduce or eliminate these air flows, according to Batterman. “We are starting to identify risk factors across various environments.”The risk of developing ALS may be linked to various activities, such as woodworking and gardening, as well as the use of related products, according to Goutman. This raises the question of whether the activities themselves or the exposure to associated products are responsible for the increased risk of ALS, which requires further investigation. Previous research in 2016 found that individuals with ALS had higher levels of pesticides in their blood compared to those without the condition. A later study in 2019 also linked certain pesticides and PCBs to ALS.Enhancing survival for ALS.
“With every research conducted, we enhance our knowledge about the kinds of exposures that raise the likelihood of developing ALS,” commented senior author Eva Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., who serves as the director of the ALS Center of Excellence at U-M and as the James W. Albers Distinguished University Professor at U-M.
“Now, we must continue to build upon these findings in order to comprehend how these exposures elevate the risk of ALS. At the same time, it is crucial to continue advocating for ALS to be recognized as a reportable disease. Only then will we be able to fully comprehend the variety of exposures that heighten the risk of the disease.”
Studies are being conducted to understand how environmental exposures play a role in the development of AStudies are currently being conducted on ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases in people with and without a family history of the condition.