Wednesday, January 22nd 2025
Researchers at UCLA Health and Harvard (1) have identified 10 pesticides that directly damage dopaminergic neurons, which play a key role in Parkinson’s disease. Using data from California’s pesticide database and a novel method combining epidemiology and toxicity testing, they screened 288 pesticides linked to Parkinson’s patients in California’s Central Valley. Among these, 53 pesticides were implicated, with 10 confirmed as highly toxic, including four insecticides, three herbicides, and three fungicides. The study also found that pesticide combinations, particularly in cotton farming, increased toxicity. Future research will focus on the biological pathways and neuronal processes affected by these pesticides to better understand their role in Parkinson’s disease.
The 10 pesticides identified as directly toxic to these neurons included: four insecticides (dicofol, endosulfan, naled, propargite), three herbicides (diquat, endothall, trifluralin), and three fungicides (copper sulfate [basic and pentahydrate] and folpet). Most of the pesticides are still in use today in the United States.
Need to identify and ban neurotoxic pesticides related to Parkinson’s (2)
Also missing on the agenda is the assessment of the fungicides Captan and the related Folpet, widely used in conventional fruit production. Folpet is identified as a Parkinson's pesticide by US researchers. Researchers have identified 10 pesticides toxic to neurons involved in Parkinson’s(link is external). The EFSA completely fails to address this issue with the necessary urgency, as was highlighted in our article on the failing neurotoxicity assessment of pesticides.
Original article:
1. https://www.uclahealth.org/news/release/researchers-identify-10-pesticides-toxic-neurons-involved
2. https://www.pan-europe.info/blog/eu-will-ban-three-problematic-pesticides-only-continue-15-more