Pesticides

2023: Pesticides prove to be one of the causes of Parkinson's disease

On May 17, 2023, American scientists from the University of California at Los Angeles released the results of work on the causes of Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disease that affects primarily those in the older age group. It turned out that the occurrence of the disease can contribute to the consumption of pesticides.

Parkinson's disease is associated with progressive destruction and death of neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. Although experts have long linked environmental factors, such as pesticide exposure, to Parkinson's disease, it was not clear which substances could increase the risk of the neurodegenerative disorder. For example, in California alone, there are about 14,000 pesticides with more than 1,000 active ingredients allowed for use. A new study has identified a number of substances that can provoke disease progression.

The emergence of Parkinson's can contribute to the consumption of pesticides

Experts have studied the history of diseases of people who interacted with various pesticides over several decades. Then the authors of the work were able to determine the long-term impact of certain substances on each person. As a result, it was possible to identify 53 pesticides that may be associated with Parkinson's disease. It is noted that the bulk of these compounds were not tested for neurotoxicity and continue to be used in agriculture.

Further laboratory analysis allowed specialists to identify the 10 most dangerous pesticides in terms of the development of Parkinson's disease. The list includes four insecticides (dicofol, endosulfan, naled, propargite), three herbicides (diquat, endotall, trifluralin), and three fungicides (basic copper sulfate, copper sulfate pentahydrate, and folpet).^[1]

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