Parkinson's is the Canary in the Coal Mine Warning Us That Our Environment is Sick
hubie writes:
Parkinson's is the canary in the coal mine warning us that our environment is sick:
Parkinson's disease occurs worldwide, affects people of all ages and backgrounds, has an enormous societal impact, and is rising at an alarming rate. According to neurologist Bas Bloem, Parkinson's literally meets all the criteria of a pandemic, except that the disease is not infectious. In a recent publication in The Lancet Neurology, Bloem and a group of internationally recognised scientists place this development in historical perspective, beginning with James Parkinson, who first described the disease in 1817.
This historical view is needed, Bloem says, because the search for the causes of Parkinson's is anything but new. As early as the 1990s, researchers and pesticide manufacturers knew that the pesticide Paraquat was linked to Parkinson's-yet the substance is still used in parts of the world (for example, the United States). In the Netherlands, Paraquat has fortunately been banned since 2007. Two other environmental factors, dry-cleaning chemicals and air pollution, also occur on a large scale. This strengthens Bloem's conviction that this largely human-made disease can also be reduced through human intervention.
As a young medical student, Bloem found himself in the midst of groundbreaking research in California, where he worked at the age of 21. "I did not yet see the enormous impact of the research being carried out there," he recalls. One of the groundbreaking studies of that era was conducted by J. William Langston in 1983. He investigated seven young drug users who suddenly developed symptoms of advanced Parkinson's after using a contaminated heroin variant.
It turned out that this so-called designer drug contained the substance MPTP, which in the body is converted into a compound that closely resembles the pesticide Paraquat. The study demonstrated that an external chemical substance could cause Parkinson's disease. Whereas the heroin users had received a high dose all at once, most people in daily life are exposed to small amounts over long periods, with ultimately a similar effect.
During the same period, and at the same Parkinson Institute in Sunnyvale, California, researcher Carlie Tanner also carried out key work. Bloem explains: "Her hypothesis was simple: if Parkinson's is hereditary, then identical twins who share the same DNA should develop it far more often than fraternal twins, as we see for conditions such as diabetes." But this was not the case.
[...] These insights became the starting point for new research into pesticides. "When researchers exposed laboratory animals to these substances, they developed Parkinson-like symptoms, and damage occurred precisely in the substantia nigra, the area of the brain affected in Parkinson's," Bloem says, convincing evidence of a causal link.
A third important study comes from Canadian neurologist Andre Barbeau, who in 1987 investigated the role of environmental factors in the province of Quebec. If the disease were evenly distributed across the region, this would suggest a hereditary or random cause. But this was not the case: Parkinson's occurred in clear clusters.
These clusters were located precisely in areas where high concentrations of pesticides were found in groundwater, another strong indication that environmental factors play a causal role.
Discussions about pesticides evoke strong emotions, Bloem notes. "People are frightened, farmers feel attacked, and industry attempts to sow doubt. But farmers or horticulturalists are not the problem. They work with what they are permitted to use. The responsibility lies with the systems that allow such substances."
He advocates for policies based on the precautionary principle. "The burden of proof now lies with scientists and citizens, who must demonstrate that a substance is harmful. But doubt should benefit humans, not chemical products."
"The most hopeful message," Bloem says, "is that Parkinson's appears to be at least partly-perhaps even largely-preventable. That is revolutionary: a brain disease that we can prevent through better environmental policy." Yet hardly any funding goes into prevention. "In the US, only 2 percent of Parkinson's research focuses on prevention. Meanwhile, billions are spent on treatments instead of turning off the tap."
[...] His message is clear: "Parkinson's is not an unavoidable fate. It is the canary in the coal mine warning us that our environment is sick and that toxic substances are circulating. If we act now-by reducing toxins, improving air quality, and enforcing stricter regulations-we can reverse this pandemic. And in doing so, we will likely reduce other health risks such as dementia and cancer."
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