A common industrial chemical may increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease, new research shows. Scientists studied more than 1.3 million seniors and found that those living in areas with the highest levels of trichloroethylene (TCE) in the air were about 10% more likely to develop Parkinson’s.
The risk was much higher for people living near industrial plants. Seniors living within a few miles of a lithium battery factory in Oregon had more than four times the risk compared with those farther away. While the study doesn’t prove TCE directly causes the disease, experts say it adds to growing evidence that pollution can harm the brain.
TCE has been used for decades in dry cleaning and metal cleaning. It is already known to cause cancer and has been found in both drinking water and air. Although the EPA banned the chemical in 2024, legal delays mean it is still in use. Researchers warn that even small increases in risk could have big public health effects because so many communities remain exposed.
SOURCE:
U.S. News, October 2, 2025