There has long been evidence linking pesticides and health problems such as cancer. But pesticides affect human health in many different ways, including increasing the risk of Parkinson’s disease.
The pesticide chlorpyrifos—which has been used on golf courses in the U.S.—has been linked to Parkinson’s, according to reporting in the Wall Street Journal. The article notes that the principal cause of Parkinson’s disease is environmental, citing a study in the journal Brain that noted only 13% of Americans carry a genetic risk factor for the disease. The world’s fastest-growing brain disorder, Parkinson’s is a progressive nervous system disorder that primarily impacts movement.