Common pesticide may more than double Parkinson’s disease risk
Why it matters: A common pesticide could be a major, preventable driver of Parkinson’s disease.
- UCLA Health linked chlorpyrifos exposure to a 2.5‑fold increase in Parkinson’s risk using residential and employment data from 1,653 participants.
- Molecular Neurodegeneration published the study, showing lab evidence that chlorpyrifos damages dopamine‑producing neurons and triggers α‑synuclein aggregation, the hallmark protein of Parkinson’s.
- Regulatory landscape notes that despite a residential ban in 2001 and tighter farm restrictions in 2021, chlorpyrifos remains widely used on U.S. crops, keeping many communities exposed.
UCLA Health researchers found that long‑term residential exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos more than doubles the risk of Parkinson’s disease, with animal studies confirming dopamine‑neuron loss and toxic protein buildup.
