Reoccurring seasonal cyanobacterial harmful algal
blooms (CHABs) persist in many waters, and recent work has
shown links between CHAB and elevated risk of amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS). Quantifying the exposure levels of
CHAB as a potential risk factor for ALS is complicated by
human mobility, potential pathways, and data availability. In
this work, we develop phycocyanin concentration (i.e.,
CHAB exposure) maps using satellite remote sensing across
northern New England to assess relationships with ALS cases
using a spatial epidemiological approach. Strategic semi-
analytical regression models integrated Landsat and in situ
observations to map phycocyanin concentration (PC) for all
lakes greater than 8 ha (n = 4117) across the region. Then,
systematic versions of a Bayesian Poisson Log-linear model
were fit to assess the mapped PC as a risk factor for ALS while
accounting for model uncertainty and modifiable area unit

• Assessing Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms as Risk Factors for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis