CONJUGAL AMYOTROPHIC-LATERAL-SCLEROSIS - TOXIC CLUSTERING OR CHANCE

We describe a southern Italian couple, married for 28 years, who devel oped amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) within 30 months of each othe r. They had drunk water taken from an artesian well for nearly thirthy years. Samples of the water were investigated in the search for heavy metals and pesticides using high performances liquid chromatography, gas chromatography and absorption spectrometry. No heavy metals, pesti cides or known environmental toxic substances were found in significan t concentration. This would seem to support the view that conjugal ALS in Caucasians is due to mere coincidence.