Parkinson’s disease (PD) is personal for me. My next door neighbor growing up was Mr. Herbert White. He was a farmer and he used a lot of chemicals to control weeds and pests. He came down with Parkinson’s disease and spent his last years in very bad shape. Dear friends have also come down with PD. There is growing evidence that a number of chemicals can increase Parkinson’s risk. The latest research published in JAMA (May 8, 2025) is titled “Proximity to Golf Courses and Risk of Parkinson Disease.”
Fairways and Fallout: PD Risk Linked to Golf Course Chemicals:
The latest research in JAMA reveals that living close to a golf course could increase the Parkinson’s risk. The closer the house, the greater the danger. These are often nice homes. People who can afford to live right on the edge of a golf course at an exclusive country club often have to pay a pretty penny to be able to look at all that lush greenery.
The authors of the study introduce their research this way:
“Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease likely caused by a complex interaction between environmental factors and genetic predisposition. Among the environmental risk factors, pesticide exposure has been linked to increased risk of PD. Golf courses are often treated with pesticides to maintain the aesthetic standards for putting greens and fairways, and in the US, pesticide application to golf courses can be up to 15 times higher compared with countries in Europe. One report anecdotally implicated proximity to golf courses as a risk factor for PD. Furthermore, pesticides applied to golf courses can leach into the groundwater and contaminate drinking water.”
Chemicals and Parkinson’s Risk:
Scientists have known for a long time that certain categories of workers are at higher risk for developing PD. Farmers, like my childhood neighbor Mr. White, are vulnerable. That’s because they are exposed to herbicides, insecticides and other pesticides at a much higher level than the average home owner.
The American Academy of Neurology reports that:
“Welders can develop Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms that may get worse the longer and more they are exposed to the chemical element manganese from welding fumes…”
What’s the deal with manganese? It’s commonly found in steel and welding rods. Welders frequently work with these materials. Arc welders rely on high heat which can liberate manganese vapor which is easily inhaled.
An article in the Journal of Movement Disorders (May, 2021) reports:
“Scientific and technological advances achieved with industrial expansion have led to an ever-increasing demand for heavy metals. This demand has, in turn, led to increased contamination of soil, water and air with these metals. Chronic exposure to metals may be detrimental not only to occupational workers but also to the nonoccupational population exposed to these metals. Manganese (Mn), a commonly used heavy metal, is an essential cofactor for many enzymatic processes that drive biological functions. However, it is also a potential source of neurotoxicity, particularly in the field of movement disorders. The typical manifestation of Mn overexposure is parkinsonism, which may be difficult to differentiate from the more common idiopathic Parkinson’s disease.”
There are lots of toxins that have been linked to PD. They include Agent Orange and solvents such as TCE (trichloroethylene). We live in North Carolina. The Marine Corps has an important facility at Camp Lejeune, about 3 hours from us. It was heavily contaminated with TCE from 1975 until 1985. People exposed to this chemical there have a higher Parkinson’s risk than the normal population (Science, May 15, 2023).
It is estimated that a million Marines and their family members were exposed to TCE over three decades.
What has TCE been used for? According to the article in Science:
“…TCE was used for many purposes, including making decaffeinated coffee, dry cleaning, carpet cleaning, and as an inhaled surgical anesthetic for children and women in labor. TCE is highly persistent in soil and groundwater; inhalation through vapor from these hidden sources is likely the prime route of exposure today. However, it’s detectable in many foods, in up to one-third of U.S. drinking water, and in breast milk, blood, and urine.”
Genetics, Chemicals and Parkinson’s Risk:
The current theory of Parkinson’s disease relates to a two-pronged risk. Genes appear to predispose some people to this neurological disorder. Certain toxins may then lead to the disease. Think of it a bit like a gun. The genes may cock the pistol. Then chemicals like herbicides and pesticides help pull the trigger.
The researchers who performed the golf course study conclude:
“In this population-based case-control study, living close to a golf course was associated with an increased risk of developing PD. We observed that risk of developing PD was greatest for those living within 1 to 3 miles of a golf course and that the risk of PD generally decreased with increasing distance from a golf course. We also found that individuals getting their drinking water from water service areas with a golf course had nearly double the odds of PD compared with individuals getting drinking water from water service areas without a golf course. Additionally, the largest effect sizes were for the association of living within a water service area with a golf course in a vulnerable groundwater region.”
Final Words:
The University of Rochester’s Institute for Human Health and the Environment is “…examining the impact of environmental chemical exposure on the brain. One disease in particular stands out.”
“Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease in the world, outpacing even Alzheimer’s, and a growing number of scientists are linking the disease’s rise to air pollution, pesticides, and a ubiquitous chemical pollutant.”
TCE is one of those ubiquitous chemicals found in contaminated groundwater.
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Citations
- Krzyzanowski, B., et al, "Proximity to Golf Courses and Risk of Parkinson Disease," JAMA Network Open, May 8, 2025, doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.9198
