Smelter can't be linked to three with disease

ST. LOUIS -- A "small but statistically significant" cluster of three patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, has been identified in Herculaneum, state health officials said Tuesday. But Dr. Bao-Ping Zhu, state epidemiologist for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said a new study showed that the overall prevalence of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and multiple sclerosis in Jefferson County was no higher than the national average. Researchers identified three ALS cases within 1 1/2 miles of the Doe Run plant, the nation's largest lead smelter. Although the geographic concentration of those cases is "statistically significant," Zhu said, the study was unable to draw a link between ALS and lead exposure.

The federally funded study was launched in response to community concerns about the incidence of the two neurological diseases in Herculaneum, home to a Doe Run Co. lead smelter. State researchers contacted health care providers, hospitals and the Multiple Sclerosis Society to document cases.

"We did the most exhaustive review possible," he said.

Doe Run spokeswoman Barbara Shepard said the health and well-being of the smelter's neighbors was the company's top priority, and that Doe Run was interested in hearing the report's conclusions.

The findings will be the focus of a public meeting Thursday evening in the Herculaneum High School auditorium.

ALS is a progressive disease that attacks nerve cells and pathways in the brain and spinal cord, leading to paralysis and death in its later stages, according to the nonprofit ALS Association.

The state's study also found that the prevalence of multiple sclerosis cases in the county was 105 per 100,000 people, putting it within the national range of 39 to 173 cases per 100,000.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com