Researchers at the University of Rochester have found a shocking link betweenParkinson's disease and trichloroethylene (TCE), the most common dry-cleaning agent. Cleaning products based on this chemical can indeed remove various contaminants that other powders and liquids cannot, but they can also trigger the disease.
According to the experts, trichloroethylene readily penetrates the brain and body tissues and damages the energy-producing parts of cells, resulting in selective loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells, a hallmark of Parkinson's disease in humans.
This study comes in the wake of growing concern among specialists about the rapidly increasing number of people suffering from Parkinson's disease. In the last 30 years, the number of cases has doubled. If nothing is done, experts say the number could double again by 2040.
Researchers have found that at least seven famous personalities developed the disease because of exposure to trichloroethylene: among them Brian Grant, a basketball player, and Johnny Isakson, a former U.S. president.
What is TCE?
Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a chlorohydrocarbon that is a translucent, colorless, volatile, nonflammable solvent.
Over the years, this substance has found many uses, and some of them are quite weird to me.
For example, did you know that trichloroethylene could be used to make decaffeinated coffee? Or as an anesthesia agent?
You are probably more familiar with TCE in the context of its use in dry cleanings as a stain remover.
In the seventies, more than 600 million pounds of this chemical were produced annually in the United States.
Can you imagine that amount?
That would mean two pounds of this chemical for every American.
Millions of people were working or "consuming" this poison for the brain and body unconsciously.
The situation was not only alarming, but critical. It was clear from this point on that the consequences would be serious.
Although domestic use has since declined, TCE is still actively used for various purposes.
The health risks associated with this chemical have been discussed so many times. Trichloroethylene has previously been linked to an increased risk of renal cell carcinoma, cervical cancer, liver cancer, bile duct cancer, fetal heart defects…
The researchers behind the new study believe that the role of TCE in the development of Parkinson's disease has been largely overlooked.
But why?
The fact is that the connection between TCE and Parkinson's disease can often go undetected, because the disease does not occur immediately after exposure to the substance. The first symptoms of the disease may appear even after 40 years.
Yet the researchers note that the harmful effects are not limited to those who work with the chemical. Millions of people are unknowingly exposed to trichloroethylene through outdoor air, contaminated groundwater and indoor air pollution, including vapor intrusion.
The research team of the new study now calls for a complete ban on the use of TCE and its close relative perchloroethylene (PCE), as well as the decontamination of sites known to have been exposed to TCE in the past.
In addition, the researchers want to examine the link between TCE and Parkinson's disease in more detail and thoroughly. Given the increasing incidence of the disease, it is reasonable to assume that something in modern life is making us more susceptible to Parkinson's disease. This chemical may be part of the answer.
Is the world on the edge of a Parkinson's disease epidemic? Perhaps…