Long-term exposure to trichloroethylene, a chemical used in metal degreasing and dry cleaning, might increase the risk of Parkinson's disease, researchers said. File Photo by Tamas Soki/EPA
Long-term exposure to a chemical used in metal degreasing and dry cleaning might increase the risk of Parkinson's disease, a new study says.
Seniors living in places with the highest airborne levels of trichloroethylene showed a 10% higher risk for Parkinson's than those in areas with the lowest levels, researchers report in the journal Neurology.
Further, risk of Parkinson's increased fourfold for people living one to five miles downwind of an Oregon factory that used the chemical, researchers found.
"Long-term exposure to trichloroethylene in outdoor air was associated with a small but measurable increase in Parkinson's risk," said lead researcher Brittany Krzyzanowski, an assistant professor at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix.
