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Research publication examines common chemical that may be associated with Parkinson’s

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Update May 2023:

Further research examining the relationship between Parkinson’s and trichloroethylene (TCE) was recently released.

A large study looked at nearly 150 000 veteran medical records to compare individuals who worked at two US military camps – one camp with a contaminated water supply containing TCE and other volatile chemicals and another uncontaminated camp. TCE levels at the contaminated camp were roughly 70x higher than acceptable amounts by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. The researchers found that 40 years later, individuals who had worked at the contaminated military camp had a 70% increased risk of Parkinson’s compared to their peers who worked at a non-contaminated camp.

The study is notable as it is an extremely large cohort with thorough medical monitoring through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) services. These results add to the growing narrative around a possible relationship between Parkinson’s disease and this common chemical.  Parkinson Canada continues to monitor & engage our research advisors on this developing research story. Updates will be shared with our community on an ongoing basis as they become available.


This week a hypothesis article was published in the Journal of Parkinson’s proposing a chemical used in dry cleaning could potentially have an association with increased risk of developing Parkinson’s. 

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a colourless solvent that has been used for a variety of purposes since the 1920s including degreasing metals, certain cleaning products, glues and dry cleaning. TCE can be found in groundwater around contamination sites and may be found in air spaces as well. 

Currently, there are a limited number of studies in animals and humans suggesting a relationship between TCE and Parkinson’s. However, the authors propose TCE should be a chemical of priority due to its possibility for widespread exposure and the paper calls for further research to better assess the relationship between TCE and Parkinson’s. 

The Parkinson Canada Research Program continues to support discoveries in many areas of Parkinson’s, including understanding the causes of the disease. We will continue to monitor further research on TCE and provide updates to the community as they become available.