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Researchers at the University of Michigan have persistently explored the correlation between exposure to environmental toxins and the onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) over the past decade.

Their investigations have unveiled a spectrum of exposures, termed the ALS exposome, encompassing substances ranging from pesticides in agriculture to volatile organic compounds common in manufacturing.

In a recent study published in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, the Michigan Medicine researchers delved into the impact of storing chemicals in residential garages on ALS risk.

Led by Dr. Stephen Goutman, director of the Pranger ALS Clinic, the study underscores the significance of identifying and mitigating disease-provoking exposures.

Goutman claimed identification of such exposures "can inform and motivate interventions to reduce exposure, risk and, ultimately, the ALS burden."

"Exposures in the home setting are an important part of the ALS exposome, as it is one place where behavior modifications could possibly lessen ALS risk," Goutman said, Neuroscience News reported.

The research, based on a survey of over 600 participants with and without ALS, revealed a significant association between storing volatile chemicals and ALS risk.

Items such as gasoline, lawn care products, pesticides, paints and woodworking supplies, commonly stored in attached garages, were implicated in elevating ALS risk.

Notably, the study found a stronger association with ALS risk when chemicals were stored in attached garages compared to detached ones.

Stuart Batterman, Ph.D., senior author and professor of environmental health science at the U-M School of Public Health, attributes this to the flow of air and airborne pollutants from attached garages to living spaces, exacerbated in colder climates.

"Especially in colder climates, air in the garage tends to rush into the house when the entry door is opened, and air flows occur more or less continuously through small cracks and openings in walls and floors," Batterman explained.

"Thus, it makes sense that keeping volatile chemicals in an attached garage shows the stronger effect."

The findings prompt reconsideration of household chemical storage practices and emphasize the importance of adopting measures to mitigate exposure risks.

Dr. Eva Feldman, director of the ALS Center of Excellence at U-M, pointed out the need to expand research efforts to elucidate the mechanisms through which environmental exposures contribute to ALS risk.

Feldman said, "We now need to build on these discoveries to understand how these exposures increase ALS risk. In parallel, we must continue to advocate to make ALS a reportable disease. Only then we will fully understand the array of exposures that increase disease risk."