Summary:
OPINION | The Clue to Unlocking Parkinson's May Be All Around Us
Following is a summary of a very informative opinion essay, entitled “The Clue to Unlocking Parkinson's May Be All Around Us” written by Nicholas Kristof, which appeared in print in the New York Times Opinion Section on Sept. 14, 2025, Section SR, Page 6 of the New York edition. Here is the link to the on-line essay:
This investigative essay examines the growing evidence connecting Parkinson's disease to environmental toxins, particularly the herbicide paraquat. Once rare, Parkinson's is now diagnosed in approximately 90,000 Americans annually, making it the world's fastest-growing neurodegenerative disease.
The article traces paraquat's history from 1958, when its manufacturer discovered potential toxicity to the human nervous system but continued marketing the profitable weed killer. Internal company documents reveal decades of concern about health risks and legal liability, even as the industry publicly dismissed such worries.
Research increasingly links Parkinson's to various pesticides and some industrial chemicals, including those used in dry cleaning (TCE and PCE). Personal stories illustrate the human cost: a farm worker who sprayed paraquat as a teenager, and NBA player Brian Grant, whose childhood at contaminated Camp Lejeune may have contributed to his diagnosis.
The piece highlights a regulatory gap: while the EPA continues allowing paraquat in U.S. agriculture, it's banned in over 40 countries, including the European Union, China, and Brazil—ironically, where much of it is manufactured. This reflects a broader pattern where American regulators often prove more deferential to industry than their international counterparts, despite mounting scientific evidence suggesting caution.
The author argues for a precautionary approach to chemical regulation, noting that absolute proof of causation is nearly impossible to achieve, yet the accumulating evidence warrants protective action—particularly for children's health.