The Link Between
Toxic Chemicals and
Parkinson’s Disease

Paraquat, a highly toxic herbicide, is used to kill weeds but is strictly handled by licensed applicators in the U.S. Its distinct blue dye and strong odor serve as warnings due to its extreme toxicity.

Exposure mainly occurs through ingestion or skin contact. A single sip is deadly for an adult. Long-term exposure may result in Parkinson’s disease, lung, kidney, or heart damage.

EPA Reevaluation of Paraquat Jan 30, 2024

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is an unstable, synthetic, colorless liquid initially developed as an anesthetic. Used in refrigerants, metal degreasers, and household products like cleaners, it poses health risks, especially Parkinson’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Exposure occurs through air, water, or soil, particularly near production sites or military bases. Protection involves wearing gear, avoiding contaminated areas, and following product instructions to minimize exposure.

EPA Risk Evaluation for Trichlorethylene

Chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate insecticide, is a crystal-like substance with a faint odor similar to rotten eggs or garlic. Used widely since 1965, it combats pests like termites, mosquitoes, and roundworms. However, it's now phased out from food and animal feed crops due to high risks, especially for children. Chlorpyrifos disrupts nerve cell communication, causing the nervous system to malfunction, ultimately eliminating pests and leading to an increase of cancers and Parkinson’s Disease in humans.

EPA Revised Human Health Risk Assessment for Chlorpyrifos

FACTS:

Banned in 65 Countries including; Austria, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Denmark, European Union (EU), Finland, Germany, Ivory Coast, Kuwait, Malaysia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom.

Paraquat is a commonly used herbicide in the United States and India. It has lethal consequences even on minimal consumption.

Paraquat was first manufactured as a nonselective, quick-acting pesticide by a British chemical company in 1962. Though it was initially used to kill marijuana weeds in the United States and Mexico, it soon became popular worldwide as a cheap and effective pesticide.

According to the WHO (2022), some of the measures to prevent Parkinson’s disease include “banning of pesticides (e.g.: paraquat and chlorpyrifos) and chemicals (e.g.: trichloroethylene) which have been linked to PD and develop safer alternatives as per WHO guidance” and “accelerate action to reduce levels of and exposure to air pollution, an important risk factor for PD”. Paraquat is highly toxic.

There is no evidence that Paraquat has ever been used in chemical warfare or terrorist attacks.

Paraquat may be an excellent weed killer, but its effectiveness comes at an enormous price. A 2009 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that exposure to paraquat and another pesticide called maneb within 500 meters of one’s home increased the risk of Parkinson’s disease by a whopping 75 percent.

FACTS:

TCE is a chemical that is commonly used as a solvent. It has a pleasant, sweet smell, though you can breathe it in without smelling it. TCE, linked to Parkinson’s, is so widespread in the American environment that nearly everyone has been exposed to it. It contaminates up to 30 percent of the country’s drinking water.

TCE contaminates countless industrial, commercial, and military sites. TCE is found in half of the 1300 most toxic “Superfund” sites that are part of a federal clean-up program, including 15 in California’s Silicon Valley where TCE was used to clean electronics. The U.S. military has stopped using TCE, but numerous sites have been contaminated, including the Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

Researchers found that TCE, much like radon, could evaporate from contaminated soil and groundwater and enter homes, schools, and workplaces.

Historical usage of trichloroethylene:   Adhesives*, Aerosol cleaning products*, Carpet cleaner*, Cleaners and solvent degreasers*, Cleaning wipes*, Cosmetic glues, Decaffeinated coffee, Film cleaners, Glue, Gun cleaner, Fumigant, Hoof polishes, Inks, Lubricants, Mold release, Paint and paint removers*, Pepper spray, Pesticides, Refrigerant*, Sealants, Stain removers*, Tap and die fluid, Toner aid, Tool cleaners, Typewriter correction fluids*, Wood finishes*

Industry Usage

Automotive care, Dry cleaning*, Degreasing*, Furniture care, Manufacturing, Computer and electronics, Disinfectants, Dyes, Fat and oil extraction, Flavor extracts (spices, hops), Jewelry, Machinery*, Paint and coating*, Paper, Perfumes, Plastics, Refrigerant*, Soaps Medicine, Anesthesia (medical, dental, veterinary), Surgical disinfectant, Treatment (migraines, trigeminal neuralgia), and Pharmaceutical manufacturing.

*common current uses

FACTS:

Chlorpyrifos (CPF), trade names Dursban and Lorsban,, is a widely used pesticide, is known to cause neuronal deficits and Parkinson's disease (PD).

CPF is an organophosphate compound utilized as a broad-spectrum pesticide, capable of killing a variety of insects and arachnids including pest larva, grubs, cockroaches, flea beetles, flies, termites, ants, and lice. It was introduced for use by Dow Chemical in 1965.

A nerve toxin, CPF holds the title of the most extensively used insecticide across various sectors, saturating golf courses and numerous crops such as almonds, cotton, grapes, oranges, and apples. Beyond its association with Parkinson's disease, it's also been implicated in adverse effects on children's brain development.

It’s most commonly used as an agricultural insecticide, and it is mostly used on cotton, corn, almond trees, and various fruit trees including apples, bananas, and oranges. Chlorpyrifos also finds non-agricultural use as a pesticide on golf courses, lawns, sporting fields, and in green houses. Finally, it often finds use as a non-structural wood treatment to prevent pest damage.

The primary ways in which chlorpyrifos finds its way into water sources are through

spray drift during application of the pesticide or through instances of significant soil erosion.

Chlorpyrifos’ health impacts:

• Decreased IQ

• Loss of working memory

• Attention deficits, like ADHD

• Autism

• Thyroid hormone disruption

• Reproductive problems

• Metabolic disturbances

• Nerve damage

• Parkinson’s disease