Call for Research into Pesticide and Parkinson Disease Link

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Tuesday, 18 January 2005

The government's independent scientific advisers are stepping up the pressure on Whitehall to investigate whether the widespread use of pesticides has increased risk of disease in humans. The Advisory Committee on Pesticides' demand for studies to show whether and how the chemicals may cause Parkinson's disease coincides with a separate call from the Department of Health's Committee on Carcinogenicity, for improved measures of exposure to pesticides, because of possible links with prostate cancer. The Advisory Committee on Pesticides said it would be "useful" to set up long-term health studies of workers making or using pesticides. They also concluded in November, in a so-far unpublicised finding, that a review of the existing evidence indicated a correlation between pesticides and Parkinson's disease. Defra said that some studies had found no association between pesticide use and Parkinson's, but added, "A link between pesticides exposure and Parkinson's disease cannot be discounted based on the evidence currently available. That is why further research is required" The Pesticides Safety Directorate was investigating the best way forward.
Source: The Guardian via www.soilassociation.org