Parkinson's disease and pesticide exposure

Parkinson disease, presenting early onset; while the other 90% of cases are categorized as idiopathic or sporadic Parkinson disease, occurring in older individuals and may be associated with exposure to environmental agents (1):

• although pesticides are beneficial to food production by protecting them against pests, contact with these substances generates acute poisoning and/or increased risk of developing chronic diseases by environmental and/or occupational exposure
• based on this, numerous pesticides have been investigated for association with Parkinson disease
  • of these, rotenone, paraquat, and maneb show toxicity mechanisms that have been most elucidated in pre-clinical studies

A Brazilian review of the association between pesticide exposure and risk of development of Parkinson’s disease showed the association was more prevalent in the presence of the following factors (1):

• (i) single-nucleotide polymorphism IVS1-7 A→G of PINK1;
• (ii) variations in the gene and protein expressions of the enzyme glutathione S-transferase;
• (iii) occupational exposure;
• (iv) living in a non-urban area;
• (v) low schooling level, and
• (iv) being male

Golf course proximity and risk of Parkinson’s disease

A US case-control study found the greatest risk of Parkinson’s disease within 1 to 3 miles of a golf course, and that this risk generally decreased with distance (2)

• effect sizes were largest in water service areas with a golf course in vulnerable groundwater regions
• 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
• study authors suggest that findings suggest that pesticides applied to golf courses may play a role in the incidence Parkinson’s disease for nearby residents

Reference:

1. Santos JR et al. Pesticide exposure and the development of Parkinson disease: a systematic review of Brazilian studies. Cad Saude Publica. 2025 Apr 11;41(4):e00011424.
2. Krzyzanowski B, Mullan AF, Dorsey ER, et al. Proximity to Golf Courses and Risk of Parkinson Disease. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(5):e259198.