Brandon Keim
Science

Pesticide Link to Parkinson's Stronger Than Ever

Studies of human populations, animals and cell biology show that a common weedkiller almost certainly causes Parkinson’s disease, say scientists. One study shows that farm workers who used the common weedkiller paraquat had two to three times the normal risk of Parkinson’s, a degenerative brain disease that eventually paralyzes patients. A second study shows that […]

Paraquat
Studies of human populations, animals and cell biology show that a common weedkiller almost certainly causes Parkinson's disease, say scientists.

One study shows that farm workers who used the common weedkiller paraquat had two to three times the normal risk of Parkinson's, a degenerative brain disease that eventually paralyzes patients.

A second study shows that animals exposed to paraquat have a build-up of a protein called alpha-synuclein in their brains. This protein has been linked to Parkinson's in the past.

A third piece of the puzzle shows that this buildup of protein kills the same brain cells affected in Parkinson's.

"All of these pieces really look like they are coming together now," Dr. William Langston, founder of the non-profit Parkinson's
Institute, told Reuters.

The studies, presented at the Parkinson's Disease Environmental Research meeting earlier this month, suggest something more than the link: first, that for all the long-term research focused on curing Parkinson's, a lot could be done to prevent it in the short term; secondly, eat organic!

Studies Line Up on Parkinson's-Pesticides Link [Reuters]