A pesticide used for decades in agriculture may be linked to a much greater risk of Parkinson's disease, and scientists have uncovered a possible explanation for how it damages the brain. Researchers at UCLA Health found that people with long-term residential exposure to chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide, had more than 2.5 times the risk of developing Parkinson's disease compared with those who were not exposed. Laboratory experiments also revealed how the chemical can interfere with the brain's ability to remove damaged proteins, leading to the loss of nerve cells essential for controlling movement.
The study, published in Molecular Neurodegeneration, goes beyond identifying a connection between pesticide exposure and Parkinson's. By examining what happens inside affected brain cells, the researchers uncovered a biological mechanism that could eventually provide new ways to protect the brain from damage. A Common Pesticide With a Troubling Link to Parkinson's Parkinson's disease affects nearly one million Americans.
The progressive neurological condition gradually damages brain cells involved in movement, often causing tremors, muscle stiffness, slowed movement, and difficulties with coordination. One of the defining features of Parkinson's is the loss of neurons that produce dopamine. This chemical messenger allows nerve cells to communicate and helps the brain coordinate smooth, controlled movements.
As dopamine levels decline, the brain becomes less capable of regulating those movements. Although inherited genetic factors can influence who develops Parkinson's, researchers have increasingly focused on environmental exposures that may also contribute to the disease. Pesticides are of particular interest because some chemicals used to kill insects or other agricultural pests can also interfere with biological processes in the nervous system.
Chlorpyrifos has been used extensively in agriculture for decades. Its residential use was banned in the United States in 2001, and agricultural applications faced additional restrictions in 2021. However, the pesticide remains in use on many crops in the United States and continues to be widely applied in other countries.
Because exposure may have occurred years before symptoms appeared, understanding the potential long-term effects of chlorpyrifos is particularly important. Identifying specific chemicals associated with Parkinson's could help researchers develop prevention strategies and determine whether previously exposed individuals might benefit from additional neurological monitoring. Researchers Find More Than Double the Parkinson's Risk To investigate the connection, UCLA scientists examined information from 829 people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and 824 people without the condition.
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