Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disease that affects millions of people around the world and whose exact cause is not yet fully understood. However, in recent years, scientific evidence has begun to indicate that exposure to certain chemicals could play a key role in its development.
A work published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease indicates that a frequently used chemical substance could be contributing to the increase in Parkinson’s cases. This is trichloroethylene (TCE), a solvent widely used in industrial, consumer, military and medical fields, used to remove paint, correct writing errors, clean engines and anesthetize patients.
The study was conducted by a large group of experts, including neurologists from the University of Rochester Medical Center, Radboud University Medical Center, the Nijmegen Center of Expertise in Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders, the Weill Institute for Neurosciences at the University of California-San Francisco, and the Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Specialists suggested that TBI could be one of the causes of the development of Parkinson’s.
What is the link of the chemical TCE to Parkinson’s?
The report also describes the widespread presence of this chemical, the evidence linking it to the disease, and the case of seven people—including a former NBA player, a United States Navy captain, and a deceased U.S. senator—who developed Parkinson’s after working with the substance or being exposed to it in their environment.
The connection between TBI and Parkinson’s was first hinted at in case studies more than 50 years ago. In between, research in mice and rats has shown that TCE easily enters the brain and body tissue and, at high doses, damages the energy-producing parts of cells known as mitochondria.
In animal studies, TBI causes the selective loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells, a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease in humans.
However, the authors warned that “millions more encounter the chemical unknowingly through outdoor air, contaminated groundwater, and indoor air pollution.”
The chemical can contaminate the soil, giving rise to underground rivers that can reach long distances and migrate over time. One of them associated with an aerospace company on Long Island, New York, is more than 6 kilometers long and 3 kilometers wide, and has contaminated the drinking water of thousands of residents.
The article described seven people in whom TBI may have contributed to developing Parkinson’s. While the evidence linking exposure to the substance with disease in these individuals is circumstantial, their stories highlight the challenges of building evidence against the chemical.
The investigation included the professional basketball player Brian Grantwho played for 12 years in the NBA and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 36. Grant was likely exposed to TCE when he was three years old and his father, then a Marine, was stationed at Camp Lejeune.
