ALS: Disease or Neurotoxicity?
Exploring how pesticides and herbicides affect molecular processes associated with ALS.
Compute the Truth™ YourselfGlyphosate results
Normal, ALS and glyphosate
Uptake falls as glyphosate input rises. The source series declines from about 2.30 to 1.55 nM, a roughly one-third reduction relative to its zero-input result.
The series remains above the ALS reference. The 50 mg result is about 1.55 nM, compared with approximately 0.50 nM for ALS. This is a change in one model readout, not evidence that glyphosate produces ALS.
Normal, ALS and glyphosate
Calcium rises with glyphosate input. The output increases from 100 nM at 0 mg to 423.3 nM at 50 mg, or 4.23 times its starting value.
The series stays below the ALS reference. The normal and zero-input results both equal 100 nM. The separate ALS reference is 1,475.8 nM; every supplied glyphosate result remains below it.
Chlorpyrifos and cyfluthrin results
Normal, ALS and chlorpyrifos
CHOP rises across the supplied series. At 50 mg, the output is about 25.1 times its zero-input value.
Reference comparison. The 10–50 mg outputs exceed the ALS reference numerically. Equivalent simulation settings have not been established by the slides.
Normal, ALS and cyfluthrin
Adenyl cyclase decreases with cyfluthrin input. The output falls about 41.8% between 0 mg and 50 mg.
The series stays above the ALS reference. The normal and zero-input results now match. At 50 mg, the output is approximately 1.686 × 10⁻³² nM, compared with 1.455 × 10⁻³² nM for the separate ALS reference.
What published research tells us
Pesticide exposure and ALS
Su et al. studied 156 people with ALS and 128 controls. Reported occupational pesticide exposure was associated with higher ALS odds (OR 5.09; 95% CI 1.85–14.0).
The study also assessed persistent pollutants. It does not establish glyphosate as a cause of ALS.
Su et al., 2016 [2] →Glyphosate-based herbicide and glutamate
Cattani et al. reported disrupted glutamate handling, calcium-related effects and oxidative stress in immature rat hippocampus after exposure to Roundup®, a glyphosate-based formulation.
Formulation and animal-model findings cannot be directly equated with pure glyphosate exposure or human ALS.
Cattani et al., 2014 [3] →Pesticides and Parkinson’s disease
Tanner et al. found associations between Parkinson’s disease and use of rotenone or paraquat, with odds ratios of 2.5 for each in a case-control study.
These agents relate to mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. The findings do not imply identical effects for all herbicides.
Tanner et al., 2011 [4] →What does the golf-course study actually show?
A 2025 study of 419 Parkinson’s disease cases and 5,113 controls found higher odds among people living within 1 mile of a golf course than among those living more than 6 miles away. [5]
Course maintenance can involve pesticide use. The authors examined proximity and water-service characteristics as exposure proxies; drift and groundwater were possible pathways.
Who was studied matters. This was a study of residents, not golfers. It examined Parkinson’s disease, not ALS, and did not establish which pesticide caused the association. The results do not quantify a golfer’s personal risk.
Adjusted odds of Parkinson’s disease
Within 1 mile vs. more than 6 miles
Krzyzanowski et al., 2025 [5]
An observational association, not an absolute risk or proof of causation.
Sources & supporting material
Model graphics: user-supplied PowerPoint. The linked studies provide external context and did not generate the model outputs above.
- Rothstein et al. (1996). Knockout of glutamate transporters reveals a major role for astroglial transport in excitotoxicity and clearance of glutamate. Neuron, 16, 675–686.
- Su et al. (2016). Association of Environmental Toxins With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. JAMA Neurology, 73, 803–811.
- Cattani et al. (2014). Mechanisms underlying the neurotoxicity induced by glyphosate-based herbicide in immature rat hippocampus: involvement of glutamate excitotoxicity. Toxicology, 320, 34–45.
- Tanner et al. (2011). Rotenone, paraquat, and Parkinson’s disease. Environmental Health Perspectives, 119, 866–872.
- Krzyzanowski et al. (2025). Proximity to Golf Courses and Risk of Parkinson Disease. JAMA Network Open, 8, e259198.
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