Industrial Chemical Linked To Parkinson’s Disease

This post originally appeared on our blog in November 2012. We are featuring it here as a part of our ongoing look at the dangers of chemical exposure and toxic substances in the workplace.

Parkinson’s disease may be more common among industrial workers in Pennsylvania and the U.S., according to a recent study. Researchers reported that workers exposed to industrial solvents have an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

Researchers studied sets of twins where only one twin had Parkinson’s disease. The twins were questioned about their work history and hobbies. The study found that individuals who were exposed to trichloroethene (TCE) and other solvents had a six-fold increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease can cause limb tremors, muscle stiffness, slower movements and speech impairment.

The study found that there was roughly 10 to 40 years between TCE exposure and individuals being diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Researchers stated that this may mean that exposure to TCE may trigger the degenerative disease but it may take a significant amount of time before any symptoms of the disease are seen.

TCE is a very dangerous chemical. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently declared…

Read our original entry to learn more about TCE and the action the EPA is taking.