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Pesticide level in blood linked to Parkinson's disease

Updated: 2009-07-14 21:40:03 CST Category: Environmental Toxin Testing

by Laurent Castellucci

The fear of pesticides in the food and water supply has been one of the factors driving the growth of bottled water and organic food. Ever since DDT was banned years ago due to its potential environmental risks, scientists have studied with concern if rising levels of pesticides in the body might have serious health consequences.

A recent study by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center has found a link between higher blood levels of the pesticide pesticide beta-HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane) in people with Parkinson's disease than in those without it.

Estimates of how many people have Parkinson's disease in the U.S. range from 1 million to 4 million people.

"There's been a link between pesticide use and Parkinson's disease for a long time, but never a specific pesticide," said Dr. Dwight German, professor of psychiatry at UT Southwestern and a senior author of the paper.

Environmental toxin testing has become more common as scientists discover more products commonly found in industrial society have links to various forms of disease when they accumulate in the body.
Dr German is conducting further research to determine if a blood test for the disease would be feasible.

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