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Chemical detected in the air inside Canadian homes also linked to 70% increase in developing Parkinson’s disease, says new report


Millions of people around the world are exposed to a “ubiquitous environmental contaminant” linked to an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, warns a new scientific report.

The groundbreaking epidemiological study, published Monday in “JAMA Neurology,” sheds new light on the prevalent disease, which is one of the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disorders in the world but whose root causes largely remain a mystery.

The report, led by a team of researchers in the U.S., examined the medical records of more than 150,000 American military personnel stationed at two bases, one contaminated with the chemical solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) and another that was uncontaminated. The scientists found that those exposed to TCE had a 70 per cent higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

Robert Chen, a neurology professor at the University of Toronto and a senior scientist at the Krembil Research Institute, said this new study is “compelling” and will likely influence future Parkinson’s research.

“This is a strong study,” said Chen, who is unaffiliated with the report. “They did have good evidence that the chemical they studied could increase the risk of Parkinson’s.”

TCE found in household products in Canada

Despite research tying it to miscarriages, congenital heart disease, autoimmune disorders and various cancers, TCE remains in use in Canada and around the world. It can be found in dry-cleaning operations, paints and paint removers, and various other imported household products, though domestic production of the solvent ceased in 1985.

The chemical compound, which can be absorbed through inhalation or the ingestion of contaminated food and water, is also commonly found in the soil and groundwater due to inappropriate industrial disposal.

“Highly persistent in soil and groundwater, large subsurface TCE plumes exist throughout the world, often unbeknownst to those who live and work above them,” the researchers warned in the article, adding that TCE has been “broadly detected” in human breast milk, blood, and urine.

“Vapour intrusion into homes and businesses from contaminated soil is a common source of inhalational exposure,” they continued in the report.

Those exposed to TCE were 70 per cent more likely to develop Parkinson’s

For the study, researchers analyzed the health records of nearly 84,000 Marine Corps and Navy personnel who worked decades ago at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, a site with drinking water later discovered to be heavily contaminated with TCE and other volatile organic compounds.

The scientists compared those records with those of roughly 73,000 military personnel who worked during a similar period at Camp Pendleton in California, whose water was uncontaminated.

The analysis found 279 veterans who served at Camp Lejeune subsequently developed Parkinson’s disease compared to 151 of those who worked at Camp Pendleton.

“We found a 70 per cent higher risk of PD (Parkinson’s Disease) in veterans who resided at Camp Lejeune relative to those who resided at Camp Pendleton during 1975-1985, a period when monthly median levels of TCE in the Camp Lejeune water supply exceeded the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) maximum contaminant level by some 70-fold,” the researchers concluded in the report.

The study also noted that among veterans without Parkinson’s Disease, those who lived at Camp Lejeune were at a high risk of developing early-onset symptoms characteristic of the disease, which could lead to a full Parkinson’s diagnosis in the future. This is a particularly significant finding, the researchers said, because many of the veterans in the cohort studied are still relatively young.

Chemical has been detected in the air inside Canadian homes

Given the findings, Chen said he is concerned that TCE is still used today and there is little research into the prevalence of TCE contamination in groundwater and soil.

“We should probably be better studying the concentration of these chemicals and in what setting people are at risk,” he said. “I understand this is not really a well-studied area.”

Environment and Climate Change Canada said the toxic chemical is present in the environment, primarily the atmosphere, due to the “dispersive and non-destructive” nature of its use.

“Trichloroethylene has been detected in ambient air and in the air inside homes in Canada, as well as, occasionally, in drinking water and surface waters across the country,” the government department says on its website, last updated in 2013.

Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common degenerative brain disorders in Canada and is believed to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. More than 100,000 Canadians are estimated to live with the disease, whose symptoms include tremors, muscle stiffness and impaired balance.

With an aging and growing population, rates of Parkinson’s disease and other similar neurological disorders impacting motor function are expected to increase by 50 per cent between 2011 and 2031.

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