Trichloroethylene Exposure Linked to Parkinson’s Disease Risk: Study

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned TCE in December 2024, after finding it posed a risk of cancer and other health complications.

New research indicates people exposed to the cancer-causing industrial chemical, trichloroethylene (TCE), also face a 10% greater risk of experiencing neurological damage.

TCE is a chemical solvent that has been commercially produced since the 1920s and widely used for metal degreasing, dry cleaning and decaffeinating coffee. It has also been commonly found in products like cleaning wipes, spray adhesives, carpet cleaners and spot removers.

However, prior research shows that water contaminated with TCE can leach into surrounding residential neighborhoods, where it has the ability to sicken residents with a number of adverse health conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, a neurological disorder that disrupts a person’s movement, balance and coordination.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include tremors, slowed movement, stiffness, balance issues, difficulty walking, slurred speech, memory loss and reduced cognitive function, which often worsens with time. There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, although its symptoms can be treated with some medications.

Camp Lejeune TCE Contamination

In 2023, a study conducted by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco found rates of Parkinson’s disease were much higher among military veterans who were exposed to TCE-contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, a U.S. Marine Corps training base in North Carolina. Veterans had a 70% higher risk of Parkinson’s disease if they were exposed to the water than those who were not.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research also indicated vets stationed at Camp Lejeune in the 50s and 60s who were exposed to tainted water had a 20% higher risk of developing certain blood and organ cancers.

It was eventually determined that more than one million veterans and family members who worked or lived at Camp Lejeune were exposed to contaminated water. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Camp Lejeune lawsuits and administrative claims have been filed after those who served, lived or worked on the base developed cancer, Parkinson’s disease and other health side effects.

Following the introduction of this litigation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned TCE in December 2024. However, there are still many contaminated industrial sites across the country.

TCE Parkinson’s Disease Links

According to findings published in the journal Neurology on October 1, contaminated industrial facilities where TCE was once manufactured still expose nearby residential areas to high levels of the chemical, increasing the likelihood of individuals developing Parkinson’s disease and other adverse health effects.

Researchers from the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona examined the link between TCE-contaminated sites and the risk of Parkinson’s disease in nearby residents. Led by Dr. Brittany Krzyzanowski, the team examined data from 221,000 Medicare beneficiaries with Parkinson’s disease, comparing them with more than 1.1 million control patients.

Krzyzanowski’s team used census tract residential data and compared that to the EPA’s National Air Toxics Assessment program to calculate exposure to ambient TCE. They mapped ambient TCE patterns for the 10-mile radius around the top three TCE emitting facilities from the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory in 2002.

The data collected indicates people who had higher exposure to TCE had an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Among the people with the highest exposure, the risk of Parkinson’s disease was 10% higher after 14 years when compared to those with the lowest exposure.

Researchers said the risk of Parkinson’s disease was dose-dependent, meaning the higher the concentration of ambient TCE the higher the likelihood a person had Parkinson’s. Such correlations are considered strong signs of a causal connection.

“Despite limitations, our study provides new evidence of the potential importance of ambient TCE exposure on PD risk and identifies specific areas of the nation that may be targets for exposure remediation.”

— Dr. Brittany Krzyzanowski, Ambient Trichloroethylene Exposure and Parkinson Disease Risk in Medicare Beneficiaries

The risk of Parkinson’s was much higher around two out of three areas in the U.S., near the highest ambient TCE-emitting facilities. There are high levels of ambient TCE in the rust belt region of the U.S. as well as several other areas across the country.

The data showed the likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease decreased the farther a person lived from a TCE-contaminated facility. Even though TCE is banned, the researchers warned that these facilities still pose a health risk to nearby residents.

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