Is Parkinson's disease related to pesticide use? | DW Documentary

Around the world, more and more people are developing Parkinson's disease. Many of those affected have chosen a supposedly healthy life among orchards or vineyards in the countryside. Is the disease related to the use of pesticides?

"I noticed it when I was pruning roses," says Ulrich Elixmann. His hands simply didn't function anymore. He saw a doctor, and the diagnosis was a shock: He had Parkinson's disease. Today he is 60 years old. He takes 13 tablets a day, does gymnastics, occupational therapy and speech therapy. He hopes to slow the disease’s progression, and with it symptoms like a stiffening face and increasing immobility. But the questions continue to gnaw at him: Why Parkinson's, and why him? And, why are other gardeners and farmers he knows also being affected?

The number of Parkinson's sufferers has doubled since the 1990s. In Germany alone, about 400,000 people have it. Researchers like Bas Bloem of Radboud University in the Netherlands are calling it a pandemic: They say it is the fastest growing neurological disease in the world, and is mainly caused by environmental factors. Heavily industrialized countries are particularly affected, as numerous chemicals find their way into the environment.

Despite more and more studies showing increased risks among agricultural workers and gardeners, Parkinson's is not yet considered an occupational disease in Germany. But in France, things are different. Sylvie Berger is from Bordelais, one of Europe's major wine-growing regions. Particularly high amounts of pesticides are used there, and Sylvie Berger, who worked in viticulture, now suffers from Parkinson's. If she receives an occupational disability pension, then why not the gardener Ulrich Elixmann from Germany?

#documentary #farming #agriculture #Parkinsons

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[chineseboxer]

My high school science teacher taught us; "anything designed to kill, kills and doesn't stop at what it was originally designed to kill."

[susanbrown]

My father was a horticulturist and would never use pesticides..for weeds we used salt.
I still use salt today on my patio..keeps weeds at bay for upto 9months.
He used other ways for pests ..
He lived to a ripe old age.

[aghvelniazi]

I in Pakistan started organic agriculture. Surprisingly results are very good. No use of fertilizer and pesticides. Taste, size and quality of food is exceptional.

[ericrawson]

To me the use of pesticides is one of a number of subjects where I am mystified about why the public do not strongly react. I remember being on holiday in France about 40 years ago and spraying was going on nearby. There was a very strong smell in the air so I held my breath and went inside. I was deeply suspicious of these chemicals, and it looks like I was right. I will never understand how people get so worked up about trivial issues and ignore big ones. I guess it's a lack of understanding of science. Unfortunately the recent statements of " we are following the science", when said science is chosen from experts biased towards the desires of politicians and profit can only serve to make people less trusting of science. I despair for the future of humanity. I believe I have lived in the best of times, and things are rapidly deteriorating.

[markymark]

Farming and pesticides have just about wiped out insects and I have great concern how this will pan out long term. In the 70s and 80s a car windscreen on the motorway would end up covered in dead insects, so many the wipers would not work properly. Today, I can drive 100 miles and not hit one insect.

[kinleyjackson]

Interesting. I have more than 4 family members, grandfather, uncle, cousins who all worked on farms and all died from Parkinson's. I truly believe the chemicals have had something to due with the rise in diagnoses.

[donnahersey]

My father raised yew trees and was told to use diazinon. He developed Parkinson’s by his early fifties and eventually died from it after a long debilitating struggle. I hate the chemical companies that knew how horrible it was and ONLY CARED FOR PROFIT. They let a good, kind man suffer and die for their greed. And deprived me of my dad.

[petergorm]

This is scary. Could happen to anyone on a global scale.
Thank you, DW, for always being on top of things. I worry what is next.

[emilyfredrickson]

My grandparents were almond growers in the central valley of California. My grandfather died of cancer and Parkinson's (yes he had both) in 2013. My grandmother (his wife) developed Parkinson's last year and has gone downhill steeply.

[theskyeva]

Heartbreaking that for reasons of correlation v causation we’re not pricing these social and environmental costs. A good reminder for me to make better choices as a consumer and may my organic garden live on.

[prameelaa]

My mother is suffering from Parkinson's disease . I have never seen such a complicated disease like this .thanks for the informative video. Regards from India

[JasonMcVayStuffeses]

i grew up in an agri community in rural arkansas. there were WAY too many people with parkinson's there, including my dad.

[intuneorange]

My uncle had Parkinsons . In his own words "I came back from WW2 and used rough pestcides and fertilizers in dangerous quantities
At our small farm
For a few years .I now
now it was wrong and it gave me the illness. "
He went Organic and
tried to warn his friends.

[ArizonaAkinTv]

Damn man. I’m 22 and put a lot of miles into the years so far, and I’m just now coming around to the realization of how horrible serious health issues are. money cannot buy you everything. I feel sorry for the men and women who have to suffer from this unfortunate disease.

[reneedaniel]

My father was exposed to DDT while serving in Vietnam and was part of a settlement that acknowledged his parkinson's was caused by DDT in the pesticides, he died 18mo ago.
It's in the chemicals we use and is never going away.

[CHMichael]

Once upon a time all food was organic.

[tyoko]

The EU can set an example by banning these harmful chemicals from being sprayed on our food. These are real issues that the public pay attention to. We should demand our government to act fast before it's too late.

[casteretpollux]

A friend died of stomach cancer young. He grew his own food and used insecticide. He laughed at me not using it. I know he's only one person so not a significant statistic. But surely substances designed to kill can't be healthy?

[mooonienelson]

I wish DW would do a documentary into the use of these pesticides in oral canine medications.
One side effect is seizures and I'm wondering if the rising cancer rates in canines might be because we fed our beloved canines "medicines" to help them combat fleas, ticks and heartworm. We've feeding them poison.

[chubbieminami]

I eat my home grown vegetables mostly during summer. It is so good to know you are eating something very safe.