Study Links Living Within 500 Feet of Dry Cleaners to 14% Higher Parkinson's Odds
Updated
Updated · Earth.com · Aug 21
Study Links Living Within 500 Feet of Dry Cleaners to 14% Higher Parkinson's Odds
3 articles · Updated · Earth.com · Aug 21
Summary
Nearly 19 million Medicare beneficiaries were analyzed, and adults living within 0.1 mile of a dry cleaner had 14% higher odds of a new Parkinson’s diagnosis than those 4 to 5 miles away.
The association weakened with distance—11% higher at 0.1 to 0.25 mile and 5% higher at 0.75 to 1 mile—while diagnoses confirmed by neurologists still showed roughly 7% to 8% higher odds nearby.
Researchers used proximity to 32,723 dry cleaner sites as a proxy for possible exposure to solvents such as PCE and TCE, which can persist underground for decades and enter buildings through vapor intrusion.
Billing records also showed stronger associations for mobility problems, dementia or cognitive decline, and falls, but not clearly for tremor.
The authors said the study cannot prove causation because it did not directly measure chemicals in homes or bodies, and untracked factors such as moving, workplace exposure, and neighborhood differences could affect the results.