Dry cleaning hazards: Chemicals may increase Parkinson’s risk by up to 70%

Trichlorethylene (TCE) is a liquid chemical that persists in air, water and soil for decades. Previous research has linked TCE, or trichlorethylene, to certain cancers, but a new study published in JAMA Neurology demonstrated its association with Parkinson’s.

TCE has been used for industrial and commercial purposes for nearly 100 years, and was used as a surgical anesthetic until it was banned in 1977.

Today, it is primarily used to degrease industrial metal parts. This requires heating the TCE in depletion tanks to create a vapor that dissolves the oil, but it also releases the chemical into the atmosphere. Once TCE enters the soil or groundwater, it can persist for decades.

In the study, researchers led by the University of California-San Francisco and the San Francisco VA Medical Center compared Parkinson’s diagnoses in nearly 160,000 Navy and Marine veterans.

The researchers found that among 430 veterans who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, their risk was 70 percent higher than those who were not exposed.

First author Samuel M. Goldman of the UCSF Division of Occupational, Environmental and Climate Medicine said civilian populations are also at risk of TCE exposure. chemical.

“TCE is still a very commonly used chemical in the United States and around the world. Its production has been increasing over the past several years and it is widely available online,” he said.

“Unfortunately, there is no easy way to know if you have been exposed, unless you have worked directly with it. Many of us have detectable levels of TCE in our bodies, but this is very is quickly metabolized and excreted, so blood and urine tests reflect only recent exposure.”

Additionally, the researchers found that the exposed veterans had more prodromal Parkinson’s symptoms – symptoms that are suggestive of Parkinson’s but do not yet meet diagnostic criteria for the disease.

“Loss of the sense of smell, a sleep disorder known as RBD, anxiety, depression and constipation can be early symptoms of Parkinson’s, but very few people with them will develop it,” said Caroline M. Tanner, neurology UCSF Dept. of.

Using a risk score based on these symptoms can predict the risk of developing Parkinson’s in the future, Tanner said.