Trichloroethylene may be ‘invisible and highly preventable’ cause of Parkinson’s disease
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Researchers have postulated that the environmental contaminant trichloroethylene may be contributing to the rise in Parkinson’s disease, according to a literature review in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease.
“Numerous genetic causes or risk factors for the disease have been identified, but the vast majority of individuals with PD do not carry any of these mutations,” E. Ray Dorsey, MD, professor of neurology at University of Rochester Medical Center, and colleagues wrote.
“One of these may be trichloroethylene, a ubiquitous chemical that has contaminated countless sites and poses health risks to those who are (often unknowingly) exposed via their work or their environment.”
Dorsey and colleagues conducted a literature review of six studies that link trichloroethylene — a colorless, six-atom chemical widely used as an industrial solvent — to parkinsonism or PD, one of which dates back to 1969. They hypothesized that the chemical contributes to the global rise of PD and could be one of the disease’s “invisible and highly preventable causes.”
Researchers detailed seven cases in which the chemical may be associated with development of PD, three of which describe likely environmental exposure and four that identify possible risk from occupational exposure. In addition, an epidemiological study linked occupational or recreational exposure to the solvent with a 500% increased risk for developing PD.
Researchers also noted other adverse health effects linked to trichloroethylene, including low birth weight, congenital heart disease and other defects in infants whose mothers were exposed, as well as cancers and other organ system failures after birth. People are often unaware of their exposure, as the chemical, like radon, evaporates from underlying soil and groundwater and can go undetected in homes, workplaces and schools.
Dorsey and colleagues recommended additional research to assess trichloroethylene exposure and future risk; rigorous cleaning and containment of contaminated sites; testing for trichloroethylene in water, soil and air and communicating risks to the public; discussing possible exposure with patients; and banning the chemical’s use.
“For more than a century, [trichloroethylene] has threatened workers, polluted the air we breathe — outside and inside — and contaminated the water we drink,” Dorsey and colleagues wrote. “Most of this has been invisible, all of it is unacceptable, and none of it will stop until we act.”