Pesticides and Parkinson's Disease
A study done at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) showed that seven different pesticides increased Parkinson's Disease risk up to 7 times.
The pesticides were:
- dithiocarbamates (maneb and zirum)
- imidazoles including benomyl and triflumizole
- dicarboxymides (captan and folpet)
- organochlorine (dieldrin)
The study concluded that these seven toxic pesticides inhibit aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), which affects the dopamine cells linked with the development of Parkinson's Disease. Of even greater concern, the scientists of this study reported that the pesticides caused an inhibition of the ALDH enzyme at far lower levels than the allowable current safety standards.
Although one of the pesticides (benomyl) has been banned, the others can still be found in everyday use. They are found in the foods we eat that have been sprayed with these toxic chemicals and found in parks and golf courses. They are also found in common pesticide control agents used in offices and homes.
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