http://www.care2.com/greenliving/pesticides-linked-to-parkinsons-disease.html
Pesticides Linked to Parkinson’s Disease
Watching a loved one endure the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease is not an easy matter–it’s been heartbreaking for me, at least. But perhaps even more frustrating are the findings of a new study linking pesticides with the disease. According to a study published in the September issue of the Archives of Neurology, people whose jobs bring them in regular contact with pesticides may be at increased risk for Parkinson’s disease.
I am neither an entomologist nor a medical researcher–but doesn’t it just seem that hardcore chemicals created to kill weeds and insects can’t be that good for us? Yes, we are bigger than weeds and insects, but many people are exposed to these chemicals over extended periods of time–often without a choice. Neurotoxic chemicals are neurotoxic chemicals, whether they be intended for leafhoppers or not.
According to the study, “growing evidence suggests a causal association between pesticide use and parkinsonism. However, the term ‘pesticide’ is broad and includes chemicals with varied mechanisms,” wrote Dr. Caroline M. Tanner of the Parkinson’s Institute in Sunnyvale, Calif., and colleagues. “Because few investigations have identified specific pesticides, we studied eight pesticides with high neurotoxic plausibility based on laboratory findings. Use of these pesticides was associated with higher risk of parkinsonism, more than double that in those not exposed.”
Three compounds–an organic (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), an herbicide (paraquat), and an insecticide (permethrin)–were associated with a more than threefold increased risk of Parkinson’s, the study found. Laboratory tests have shown that all three compounds have effects on dopaminergic neurons, which are affected by Parkinson’s disease.
“This convergence of epidemiologic and laboratory data from experimental models of Parkinson’s disease lends credence to a causative role of certain pesticides in the neurodegenerative process,” Tanner and colleagues concluded. “Other pesticide exposures, such as hobby gardening, residential exposure, wearing treated garments or dietary intake, were not assessed. Because these exposures may affect more subjects, future attention is warranted.”
As heartbreaking as it is to realize that many of these Parkinson’s cases might have been avoided, it is nonetheless heartening to find an environmental cause–if we can simply remove something from the environment, we can lower the rate of Parkinson’s. Now the questions is: can we simply remove the offending chemicals from the environment?
Here’s how can you help: Urge President Obama to ask the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to investigate a link between occupational pesticide use and American workers–and develop new policies to protect workers accordingly by signing our letter here.
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26 comments
add your comment »Hi,
It’s a pity that people don’t realize the importance of this information. Thanks for posing it.
heilpflanzen
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someone seems to always bring up the mosquito issue when the dangers of pesticides are discussed--John Holick, you need to remember that the worst pests are the strongest and soon become resistant to pesticides meaning the pesticides used must be even stronger and more dangerous. Mosquitos, rats, roaches etc are out of balance because of pesticides and destruction of habitat for their natural predators. There are much healthier ways to combat the problem of pests. My husband and I got married at a camp in SE Ohio--everyone was amazed at how there were NO mosquitos bothering us over the weekend as they were horrible in other parts of Ohio and Indiana. There were many bats living there! Of course we had to chase a few bats out of the cabins but hey much rather deal with that then be eaten by mosquitos! Bats and frogs(also good for eating mosquitos) are very sensitive to pesticides.
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It never ceases to amaze and dishearten me, all the avoidable health problems that are popping up due to the lack of insight because we are in such a rush to fix things that were never broken.
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By Dave Lindorff
On Oct. 13, the New York Times ran a news story headlined “Door Opens to Health Claims Tied to Agent Orange,” which was sure to be good news to many American veterans of the Indochina War. It reported that 38 years after the Pentagon ceased spreading the deadly dioxin-laced herbicide/defoliant over much of South Vietnam, it was acknowledging what veterans have long claimed: in addition to 13 ailments already traced to exposure to the chemical, it was also responsible for three more dread diseases—Parkinson’s, ischemic heart disease and hairy-cell leukemia.
Under a new policy adopted by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, the VA will now start providing free care to any of the 2.1 million Vietnam-era veterans who can show that they might have been hurt by exposure to Agent Orange.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/
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When I was a child my father had a garden but never used any form of insecticides. We had virtually no insect problems; the birds in the trees nearby took care of them. Look at the fields of the huge farms and you will see no trees in sight. Further, as I recall the physical response of insects to the banned DDT. The insects showed movements during their lead-up to dying that were similar to Parkinsons in people.
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Chemicals are the worlds (#) number one public enemy. I have used all the worst and then some. I managed a Christmas Tree Farm for almost (10) ten year. We had to spray to keep the weeds out, spray for insects, fungus's and everything. I had to have all the workers suited up like aliens
2-4-D is one of the most dangerous Herbicide's of all time, although it is not acknowledged. June Russells did an article on 2-4-D, and I would like to share it with you all.
http://www.jrussellshealth.org/pests24d.html
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My uncle is a conventional farmer. He and my aunt live right among the orchards where they spray all kinds of chemical pesticides and other crop treatments (they have a spray for just about everything, including one that knocks off half the flowers so those that are left make bigger fruit). He has a tremor, called non-Parkinson's tremor, that I'm sure is caused by all the chemicals they ingest (they have a well, so they drink the groundwater contaminated by all the toxins). Yet he persists in saying that organic farming is no safer than conventional farming. Sigh.
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Remember that mosquitoes kill over 3,000,000 people a year. Without mosquito control many more would die. Not even looking at West Nile, yellow fever killed over 10,000 people in Philadelphia in 1793. Twenty percent of the population of the largest city in America at the time.
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My Mother has suffered for quite a number of years now... she has been a keen hobby gardener all her life... I wonder... this sounds very very plausible....
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It's insane and recklessly irresponsible to believe anything that kills insects will not affect other organisms.
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