Mortality From ALS Up With Exposure to Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms
THURSDAY, June 26, 2025 -- Living close to cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in U.S. water bodies is associated with increased risk of mortality from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a study published online May 12 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Stuart A. Batterman, Ph.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues developed life course exposure measures for cyanobacteria and examined the association with survival in individuals with ALS. An individual's residence history, date of disease onset, and satellite data from the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network were used to identify exposure measures. Cyanobacteria concentrations in water bodies within 0.25 to 10 km of each residence were weighted using residence duration for selected exposure windows referenced to the date of disease onset. Concentration metrics, buffer sizes, and windows of exposure were assessed.
The researchers found that the best balance of the likelihood and plausibility of exposure while still resolving exposure contrasts was seen for the 2.5- and 5-km buffers. Most study participants lived within 5 km of cyanobacteria blooms over their lifetime; exposure was associated with up to 0.89 years' shorter survival, with individuals reporting swimming, fishing, and private wells demonstrating significant interactions.
"If exposure to cyanobacteria toxins is a meaningful risk factor, then the large number of inland lakes prone to cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in the U.S. Midwest region (e.g., Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Indiana) might explain the regional patterns of disease incidence, which is much higher that other U.S. regions," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
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