Parkinson’s Disease Linked to Industrial Solvent Exposure
An international study suggests that workers who are exposed to trichloroethylene (TCE), an industrial solvent, may have six times the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease as workers who are not exposed to TCE.
Researchers in the US, Canada, Germany and Argentina looked at 99 sets of American twins, in which one twin had developed Parkinson’s disease—a degenerative central nervous system disorder characterized by shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty walking— and the other had not.
The twins were interviewed to determine their work histories and calculate their potential exposure to six solvents.
The people who were exposed to TCE, perchloroethylene (PERC) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) were found to be at significant risk for developing the disease, while workers exposed to three other solvents—toluene, xylene and n-hexane, were not found to be at statistically increased risk for being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
“Our findings, as well as prior case reports, suggest a time lag of up to 40 years between TCE exposure and onset of Parkinson’s, providing a critical window of opportunity to potentially slow the disease before clinical symptoms appear,” says study co-author Dr. Samuel Goldman of The Parkinson’s Institute in Sunnyvale, CA.
Info to go: Read more about trichloroethylene health hazards by clicking on the Info to Go safety links here.
