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Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Primary Cultures of Rat Astrocytes and Microglia and Their Use in the Study of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Published on: June 23, 2022
Exposure to hazardous air pollutants and the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Angela M Malek1, Aaron Barchowsky2, Robert Bowser3
1Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
Background:
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a serious and rapidly fatal neurodegenerative disorder with an annual incidence of 1-2.6/100,000 persons. Few known risk factors exist although gene-environment interaction is suspected. We investigated the relationship between suspected neurotoxicant hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) exposure and ALS.
Methods:
A case-control study involving sporadic ALS cases (n = 51) and matched controls (n = 51) was conducted from 2008 to 2011. Geocoded residential addresses were linked to U.S. EPA NATA data (1999, 2002, and 2005) by census tract. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using conditional logistic regression.
Results:
Residential exposure to aromatic solvents significantly elevated the risk of ALS among cases compared to controls in 2002 (OR = 5.03, 95% CI: 1.29, 19.53) and 1999 (OR = 4.27, 95% CI: 1.09, 16.79) following adjustment for education, smoking, and other exposure groups. Metals, pesticides, and other HAPs were not associated with ALS.
Conclusions:
A potential relationship is suggested between residential ambient air aromatic solvent exposure and risk of ALS in this study.
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