Parkinson's and Pesticides

A growing body of research links Parkinson's Disease to exposure to pesticides. Last week, the Toronto Globe and Mail reported on research efforts to understand how pesticides used in potato fields cause the kind of brain damage seen in people with Parkinson's.

IATP and the Collaborative on Health and the Environment have published a new fact sheet on the connections between Parkinson's and pesticides and other environmental causes. It was written by Jackie Hunt Christensen, former director of IATP's Food and Health program. The fact sheet outlines the causes of Parkinson's, including detailed information on a number of pesticides that have been strongly linked to the disease in animal studies. It also includes some helpful tips on minimizing your exposure to environmental risk factors for Parkinson's.

The Globe and Mail reports that in response to recent research Ontario announced a ban on sale and use of certain types of pesticides in gardening to reduce health risks. We need more such efforts by governments to assess and reduce the public health risks of pesticide use.