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13/06/2007
Exposure to pesticides could lead to an increased risk of contracting Parkinson's disease with the risks substantially higher in those occupationally exposed, a study has found. People exposed to low levels of pesticides, such as amateur gardeners, were found to be 1.13 times as likely to have Parkinson's disease compared with those who had never been exposed. Those who had been exposed to high levels of pesticides, such as farmers, were 1.41 times as likely to be affected, according to the findings. Other studies have pointed strongly towards exposure to pesticides being involved in some cases, with agricultural workers showing higher rates of the illness. US farmworkers' union UFW last year demanding official action on the problem.
The new European study, led by an Aberdeen University expert and reported online in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, involved 959 cases of parkinsonism, a term used to describe people with diagnoses of Parkinson's disease and other similar conditions. They all answered questioned about their lifetime occupational and recreational exposure to a variety of chemicals, including solvents, pesticides, iron, copper and manganese. The findings revealed that while having a family history of Parkinson's was the clearest risk factor for developing the disease, exposure to pesticides also gave a clear increase. Dr Finlay Dick, the lead researcher, said: 'What we have shown in the study is that with increasing risk to exposure to pesticides, the risk of Parkinson's disease increases.' He added: 'Pesticide use is associated with Parkinson's disease and this has implications for occupational and, perhaps, recreational users of these agents.' The paper says the pesticides responsible could be substituted. Other studies have linked exposure other workplace toxins including manganese to the disease.
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