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\n Published on
\n 02\/10\/2025 – 8:00 GMT+2\n <\/p>\n
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People who spend years breathing in a common chemical that is banned in the European Union may be at higher risk of developing Parkinson\u2019s disease, a new study has found.<\/p>\n
Trichloroethylene (TCE) is an industrial solvent used to degrease metals and dry clean clothes \u2013 but it has been illegal in the EU, with limited exceptions, since 2016 over concerns it could cause cancer and genetic defects.<\/p>\n
In the United States, where the study took place, TCE spreads easily in the air and can also be found in soil and water.<\/p>\n
The chemical has been linked to Parkinson\u2019s, an age-related degenerative brain condition, in the past. But while most research focuses on TCE exposure at work, the new study covers the entire US.<\/p>\n
It found a \u201csmall but measurable increase in Parkinson\u2019s risk\u201d linked to TCE exposure, said study author Brittany Krzyzanowski, a research assistant professor at the US-based Barrow Neurological Institute.<\/p>\n
Her team analysed data for nearly 222,000 older adults who were newly diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s between 2016 and 2018, and compared them with more than 1.1 million people without the disease.<\/p>\n
The researchers estimated people\u2019s outdoor exposure to TCE using local environmental data for their home ZIP codes, and divided people into 10 groups based on their exposure levels.<\/p>\n
After taking other risk factors into account, people with the highest TCE exposure were 10 per cent more likely to develop Parkinson\u2019s than people with the lowest exposure, according to the study, which was published in the journal Neurology.<\/p>\n
Parkinson\u2019s affects about 10 million people worldwide. The symptoms, including a tremor in the hands, limb stiffness, balance problems, and slowness of movement, typically develop slowly over several years. There is currently no cure.<\/p>\n
The researchers also homed in on the areas around the top three TCE-emitting facilities in the US \u2013 and found that the risks were higher closer to these sites.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile the increased risk was modest, the sheer number of people exposed to TCE in the environment means the potential public health impact could be substantial,\u201d Krzyzanowski said in a statement.<\/p>\n
While TCE is not allowed in the EU, it remains controversial in the US. The Biden administration banned its use last year, but the Trump administration has repeatedly postponed the rule, as recently as August.<\/p>\n
The latest findings do not prove that TCE exposure causes Parkinson\u2019s, only that the two are related.<\/p>\n
The study also has some limitations, notably that it focused on older adults and may not capture the risks for younger people or those with early-onset Parkinson\u2019s. Levels of TCE in the air were also drawn from a single point in time, meaning they may not reflect people\u2019s exposure over their lifetimes.<\/p>\n
But the results add to a growing body of evidence that Parkinson\u2019s may be predominantly a disease of our environments, with chemicals and pollution playing a role along with genetics.<\/p>\n