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Parkinson's Disease And Tce Exposure
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Question
donna68
How many post Vietnam veterans are out there dealing with Parkinson’s disease or symptoms similar to Parkinson’s? Facts are: Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurologic disorders. It affects roughly 1.5 million Americans. The Veterans Health Administration treats an estimated 40,000 veterans with PD each year.
Recent studies link Parkinson’s to TCE which is a chemical that was common on military bases. Multiple military bases are on the EPA and ATSDR list.
Parkinson's Disease Risk Greater in Those Exposed to Common Chemical, Trichloroethylene, Study ShowsScienceDaily (Nov. 29, 2011) — A University of Kentucky faculty member is a contributing author on a new study demonstrating a connection between a common solvent chemical and Parkinson's disease. Dr. Franca Cambi of the UK Kentucky Neuroscience Institute collaborated with researchers from across the U.S. on a paper recently published in the Annals of Neurology.
Occupational or environmental exposure to TCE, PERC and CCI4 is common due to the extensive use of the chemicals in dry-cleaning solutions, adhesives, paints, and carpet cleaners. Despite the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banning the use of TCE as a general anesthetic, skin disinfectant, and coffee decaffeinating agent in 1977, it is still widely used today as a degreasing agent. In the U.S., millions of pounds of TCE are still released into the environment each year and it is the most common organic contaminant found in ground water, detected in up to 30 percent of drinking water supplies in the country.
While prior research has indicated a link between TCE exposure and Parkinson's disease, the current findings are the first to report a statistically significant association -- a more than six-fold increased risk. Researchers also found that exposure to PERC and CCI4 tended toward significant risk of developing the disease.
Also note that the ATSDR has identified three completed exposure pathways for (Mc Clellean AFB) on-site military and civilian populations: past exposure via ingestion of TCE-contaminated water from the base's water production wells; inhalation of ambient air (past, current, and future) contaminated with TCE, PCE, 1,1-DCE, MC, benzene, and mercury; and ingestion of PCB-contaminated surface soil (past, current, and future).
On-site residents, civilian and military personnel, and off-site residents living west on the base have been exposed to TCE in groundwater and ambient air. On- and off-site exposure at McClellan Air Force Base resulted from long-term (more than a year) ingestion of contaminated water from base and private residential wells. Other domestic uses of water (e.g., cooking and bathing) resulted in residents inhaling TCE volatilized from the contaminated water and dermal absorption of TCE from the contaminated water. Limited air monitoring data indicate that on- and off-site military and civilian populations near OU B and OU D were also exposed to TCE by the inhalation route.
TCE exposure also causes cancer, so please spread the word and check the EPA and ATSDR site for bases you may have been to.
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