Neurology Dry cleaning chemicals and pesticides strongly linked to Parkinson's Disease

[Maciamo]

It has been known for a while that exposure to some pesticides greatly increase the risk of developing Parkinson's Disease (PD). A 2023 study found that other chemicals used in dry cleaning also seem to have that effect. The most dangerous is trichloroethylene (TCE), but 2 other solvents, perchlorethylene (PERC), and carbon tetrachloride (CCI4), also increased the risk for PD.

The report, published today in JAMA Neurology, involved examining the medical records of tens of thousands of Marine Corps and Navy veterans who trained at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina from 1975 to 1985. Those exposed there to water heavily contaminated with TCE had a 70% higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease decades later compared with similar veterans who trained elsewhere. The Camp Lejeune contingent also had higher rates of symptoms such as erectil e dysfunction and loss of smell that are early harbingers of Parkinson’s, which causes tremors; problems with moving, speaking, and balance; and in many cases dementia. Swallowing difficulties often lead to death from pneumonia.

These risks were confirmed in a new study published in April 2024 titled The Body, the Brain, the Environment, and Parkinson’s Disease.