Exposure to fossil fuel extraction is related to the ELA, according to new research

According to new research, an important pollutant from the extraction of fossil fuels has been related to a greater risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ELA).

Prolonged exposure to sulfur dioxide, a component produced by oil and coal combustion, is associated with the development of neurodegenerative disease, according to an article published in Environmental Research found.

The study began after the health workers of a provincial clinic in ELA in New Brunswick, Canada, noticed a higher incidence rate of patients in the region, the main author Daniel Saucier, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec and main author of the article told ABC News.

“If there are so many cases in New Brunswick, you know, what is happening? What is causing it?” Saucier asked, who had just finished his mastery investigating diagnostic methods for the ELA when the study began. “But we know very little about the causes of the ELA.”

Saucier and his colleagues compared 304 people who had been diagnosed with 1,207 healthy people of the same age and sex, according to the article. They based the individual exposure of the subjects to pollutants in the environmental records of their home.

Then, the researchers embarked on a quantitative study that analyzed the estimated levels of contamination in the main residences of the subjects.

“And indeed, it turned out that air pollution was potentially related to the increase in ELA cases in New Brunswick, and sulfur dioxide seemed to be the one that had a significant association with the ELA,” Saucier said.

According to the study, the subjects had 23% more chances of being diagnosed with ELA several years later.

The study only analyzed the association, not causality.

It is not clear if there are SO2 increase groups in the region and, if so, what is causing it, he added.

According to the article, the researchers focused on the levels of sulfur dioxide present before the ELA symptoms began to appear, compared to the levels taken in the years before the diagnosis was made.

You can create high levels of SO2 during “anything that has to do with mining activities”, as well as the use of fossil fuels to obtain energy, such as burning coal or equipment that operates with diesel, Saucier said.

“There could be some high local concentrations in the area,” he said.

All regions covered in the study were within the guidelines of Canada for Clean airAccording to the newspaper.

According to researchers, more studies will be necessary to design prevention strategies and improve regulatory intervention on air pollution exposure levels in the name of public health.

“At the end of the day, if we really want to reach a safe level without contamination, combustion will stop being our main method of generating energy and giving way to new technologies,” Saucier said.

Dr. Noor Shaik of ABC News contributed to this report. Shaik is a resident of Neurology and member of the ABC News Medical Unit.