Tricholorethylene (TCE) Exposure Increases Risk of Parkinson’s Disease

Exposure to the industrial chemical tricholorethylene (TCE) is associated with a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study. TCE is a solvent once widely used in dry cleaning and to clean grease off metal such as auto parts. Its use has been curtailed due to concerns over its health affects.

In the study, researchers examined the job histories of 99 pairs of twins in which one of the twins had Parkinson’s disease. Those exposed to TCE in the workplace were five and a half times more likely to have Parkinson’s than those not exposed to the chemical. The twins who were exposed to TCE had job histories that included work as machinists, dry cleaners, electricians and mechanics.

Twins were used in the study because they are genetically similar and thus provide excellent subjects for evaluating environmental affects. The twins were men identified from a study known as the World War II-Veterans Twins Cohort study.

“This is the first time a population-based study has confirmed case reports that exposure to TCE may increase a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease,” stated the author of the study, Samuel Goldman, MD. Dr. Goldman is affiliated with the Parkinson’s Institute in Sunnyvale, California, and is a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto.