Living near a golf course could be accompanied by an unexpected health problem: a higher risk of Parkinson’s diseaseAccording to a recent study.
The study, published on May 8 Jama Network Open, have found a potential link between life near golf courses, where pesticides are commonly used and higher rates of the neurodegenerative condition.
He found that people living at less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) of a golf course have a risk of 126% higher to develop Parkinson’s disease compared to the life of more than six miles (9.6 kilometers), said the co-author of Dr Ray Dorsey, a neurologist and director of the Center for the Brain and the Environment Attria Health Institute.
“This is not the first study that links Parkinson’s disease to pesticides.
“But it is not they who bring pesticides, it’s like used smoke. They probably breathe it or consume it in the water they drink.”
There was so much in -depth research connecting pesticides to Parkinson’s disease that Dorsey said that in his opinion, it is no longer just a possible link – this is one of the causes.
It is important to note that this study was based in the United States, where certain pesticides used on golf courses, such as paraquat (a herbicide) and the maneb (a fungicide), have been linked to a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease.
However, these specific pesticides were prohibited in Canada. Although the study mentions the Paraquat and the Maneb, it does not lists all the pesticides used. Other Pesticides are always authorized in Canada.
Parkinson link with pesticides
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement, often causing tremors, stiffness and difficulties with balance and coordination.
According to Parkinson Canada, more than 110,000 people in Canada are currently living with the disease; A number should increase in the years to come as the population is aging.
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There is currently no remedy against Parkinson’s disease and no available treatment that can slow down its progress.
Although it is still not entirely understood which causes the disease, The research suggests This is the result of a potential combination of genetic and environmental factors, said Dr. Karen Lee, CEO of Parkinson’s Canada.
“This is probably a perfect storm. What means, you have genes that potentially damage you to get that of Parkinson, and if you are in the right environment, it is potentially what triggers the start of Parkinson’s disease,” she told Global News.
For years Pesticides were in the spotlight as a potential environmental trigger. Although agricultural communities and agricultural workers have been studied in depth, we know much less about the potential risks posed by more urban or suburban sources of exposure to pesticides – such as golf courses, supports the study.
Golf courses are often treated with pesticides To maintain aesthetic standards to put Greens and Fairways, and these chemicals have been linked to the development of Parkinson’s disease.
To explore this possible link, Mayo Clinic researchers conducted a study based on the population using data from the Rochester epidemiology project between 1991 and 2015. The data was analyzed between June and August 2024.
They examined medical files and environmental data for 419 people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and more than 5,000 people living without condition. The researchers then saw residential stories and their distance to 139 golf courses in southern Minnesota and west of Wisconsin.
People who lived within one to three miles in a golf course showed the highest risk of developing the disease. More specifically, those who live in a mile had 126% of the ratings increased compared to those who live more than six miles from there.
This risk has generally decreased as the distance from the golf course has increased, according to the study.
Proximity was not the only factor linked to a high risk. The study also revealed that the type of drinking water counted.
People who obtained their tap water from sources of groundwater in areas with a golf course had almost double the chances of developing Parkinson’s disease compared to those of similar areas without golf course, research revealed.
The risk was even higher for people living in regions where groundwater has been classified as vulnerable, which means that it was more sensitive to contamination due to the type of soil or the shallow rocky substratum.
Researchers think it is because pesticides in golf courses can enter the groundwater and contaminate the supply of municipal water.
Although water seems to be a key factor, the study has revealed that people living less than one to two miles in golf field still had a higher risk, even after considering the vulnerability of water. This suggests that pesticides derived in the air could also play a role in increased risk, have argued the researchers.
Lee said that the discoveries did not come as a surprise and considered them a piece of more than a larger puzzle. She pointed out that the more researchers understand, the better they can adapt the treatments – and possibly work for prevention.
“We have already shown that there is a higher risk of obtaining parkinson because of these pesticides,” she said. “But it is really important to remember that there is not one thing that causes Parkinson right now. We haven’t said” that’s all “,” she said.
Dr. Michael Okun, national medical advisor to the Parkinson Foundation and director of the Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, agreed.
He said that the study is intriguing but not surprising, because golf courses use various pesticides and herbicides to maintain their green vegetables.
“Living close to a golf course and sharing water services almost double the chances of developing a MP (Parkinson’s disease). This strongly suggests that environmental exposure to chemicals used in golf courses may be a contributory factor, “he said.
Not just Parkinson’s disease
Meanwhile, other studies have linked golf courses to neurological diseases.
Research published in The newspaper of Neurological Sciences in 2024 have found that outdoor recreational activities, such as golf and gardening, can increase the probability of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SLA), especially in men.
Pesticides are neurotoxic, Dorsey said, so it is not surprising that exposure to some of them has been linked to other neurological disorders in humans.
“We believe that Parkinson’s disease is largely an artificial disease. The chemicals of our food, our water and our air feed the rise of a rapidly growing brain disease, “he said.
He and researchers hope that the study will sensitize the potential risks of the use of pesticides on golf courses and will encourage public health policies to reduce the contamination of groundwater and airborne exposure.
In the meantime, Okun has said that the study highlights a potential link, there is still no cause and effect relationship.
“Consequently, it is premature to make large recommendations only on the basis of this observation. However, it underlines the importance of evaluating and potentially the regulation of the use of certain chemicals in residential and recreational areas.”