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New research suggests a strong link between chronic exposure to environmental toxins in Qatar's desert and an increased risk of developing neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

After what has been described by experts as a scientific breakthrough, researchers now believe that they have identified the cause behind the development of ALS among US army veterans of the 1991 Gulf War.

A decade after their deployment, many soldiers who were stationed in the Gulf began to develop symptoms of ALS at twice the incidence of their colleagues who had been trained elsewhere.

Studies conducted by Dr Renee Richer of the University of Wisconsin-Marinette had previously identified cynobacterial crusts that cover large parts of the Qatari desert as the breeding ground for harmful neurotoxins.

At first glance, cynobacterial crusts have the appearance of dry, cracked mud. However, unlike dry mud, it does not crumble when handled.

It is thought that US troops' exposure was due to army vehicles disturbing the crusts and releasing the toxins into the air.

The new findings, published by the Royal Society in London, seem to confirm a connection between the neurotoxin BMAA contained in the cynobacteria crusts and neurodegenerative diseases.

Through experiments that exposed monkeys to dietary doses of BMAA, researchers observed that chronic dietary exposure to the toxin can cause neurodegenerative disease.

The implications of this research, however, are not limited to Qatar and may also apply to many who are exposed to the same toxins in other parts of the world, including Japan, parts of America and the Pacific islands.

"I don't want people to think that Qatar is toxic," said Renee Richer, co-founder of the Qatar-based

"This is a global problem. But Qatar is a great place to study it," the scientist told Doha News.

Meanwhile, investigation continue into the levels of neurotoxins in Qatar's water supply, air and ecosystems. Researchers from QCM-Q and Hamad Medical Corp are also looking into the effects that the presence of neurotoxins may be having on Qatar's residents, and whether the rates of neurological disease are significantly different from that of other countries.