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American researchers have managed to identify 10 biocidal substances potentially involved in the development of Parkinson’s disease.

In France, more than 167,000 people suffer from Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative pathology characterized by the progressive destruction of certain neurons in the brain.

On the same subject

Pesticides: what is (really) their impact on our health?

The exact causes of Parkinson’s disease are not yet known: scientists hypothesize a genetic vulnerability coupled with environmental risk factors.

Exactly: according to Inserm, exposure to certain pesticides is probably a factor increasing the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (in the United States) have thus succeeded in identifying 10 pesticides toxic to dopaminergic neurons, these cells in particular involved in movement and which degenerate in patients with Parkinson’s.

Two pesticides are still authorized in France

As part of their work, the American researchers reviewed 288 biocidal substances: these were tested on stem cells “reprogrammed” to imitate the behavior of dopaminergic neurons.

Verdict? 10 pesticides were identified as “directly toxic“for neurons: 4 insecticides (dicofol, endosulfan, naled and propargite), 3 herbicides (diquat, endothall and trifluralin) and 3 fungicides (copper sulphate in its two forms, and folpet).

While many of these substances are commonly used in the United States, in France only copper sulphate and folpet are still authorized by the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety ( Handles).

Source : NatureCommunications

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