The British government’s Advisory Committee on Pesticides has ordered a review of all studies linking pesticides to Parkinson’s disease. Studies have shown that people living in rural areas, where exposure to pesticides is more likely, are at higher risk of developing the neurodegenerative disease. Therefore, the scientists are reviewing these studies to see if they can identify a specific pesticide or class of pesticides linked to Parkinson’s. The decision to conduct the review follows growing concern among the scientific community that exposure to certain pesticides may trigger Parkinson’s by stopping brain cells from producing adequate amounts of the neurotransmitter dopamine.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.reutershealth.com on the 17th May 2002
