The type of water you drink may increase your risk of Parkinson’s disease, study finds
The specific type of water you drink could increase your risk of Parkinson’s disease, a study suggests.
Parkinson’s disease, suffered by 1 million Americans, is a progressive neurological disorder caused by the death of nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine. This lack of dopamine leads to tremors, balance issues, stiffness and trouble speaking, all of which worsen over time.
The disease is thought to be on the rise in the US, which experts have blamed on environmental exposures like pollution and pesticides.
Now, researchers in New York City and Arizona have honed in on drinking water sources.
The team looked at more than 12,000 people with Parkinson’s and over 1 million without the disease, all of whom lived close to groundwater sampling sites, which monitor the quality of groundwater.
They found that people whose water came from newer groundwater sites – those established in the last 75 years – were 11 percent more likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease compared to older sources.
And those who got their water from carbonate aquifers – underground layers of water-bearing, soluble rock that transmits groundwater – were up to 62 percent more likely to develop Parkinson’s than those from glacial sources.
The experts believe older groundwater generally has fewer contaminants because it comes from greater depths and is shielded from pollutants such as heavy metals and pesticides.
The source of your drinking water could increase your risk of Parkinson’s disease by up to 62 percent, a new study suggests (stock image)
Aquifers are more common in the US, serving 145 million Americans. Glacial aquifers, formed when glaciers advanced and retreated during the ice age, are thought to promote natural filtration because they are composed of sand and gravel.
About half of US drinking water comes from groundwater sources.
The researchers caution the new study, due to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 78th Annual Meeting in April, does not prove newer groundwater causes Parkinson’s, but there may be an association.
The full study is not yet available.
Brittany Krzyzanowski, study author and researcher at the Atria Research Institute in New York City, who conducted the research while at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, said: ‘One way to examine our exposure to modern pollution is through our drinking water.
‘Newer groundwater, created by precipitation that has fallen within the past 70 to 75 years, has been exposed to more pollutants. Older groundwater typically contains fewer contaminants because it is generally deeper and better shielded from surface contaminants.
‘Our study found that groundwater age and location is a potential environmental risk factor of Parkinson’s disease.’
The Parkinson’s Foundation estimates 1.2million Americans will be diagnosed with Parkinson’s by 2030, and 90,000 are struck by the disease every year.
This is a 50 percent increase from the previously estimated rate of 60,000 a decade ago, the foundation estimates.
There are roughly 35,000 deaths annually from the condition, often from aspiration pneumonia, caused by trouble swallowing, and severe injuries from falling.
The new study examined 12,370 people with Parkinson’s and more than 1.2 million without the disease, all of whom lived within three miles of specific groundwater sampling sites across 21 major aquifers.
The researchers matched for Parkinson’s risk factors such as age and sex – the disease is most common in men over 60 – and evaluated groundwater age, aquifer type and drinking water source.
Michael J Fox (pictured above at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards earlier this month) was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, revealing his diagnosis in 1998. In 2000, he founded the Michael J Fox Foundation to help fund Parkinson’s research
The study found that of people with Parkinson’s, 3,463 for their drinking water from carbonate aquifers, 515 from glacial aquifers and 8,329 from other aquifers. Among those without the disease, 300,264 got their water from carbonate aquifers, 62,917 from glacial aquifers and 860,993 from other aquifers.
Drinking water from carbonate aquifers was linked to a 24 percent higher risk of Parkinson’s disease compared to other aquifer sources. This figure skyrocketed to 62 percent when compared to drinking water from glacial aquifers.
Groundwater in carbonate systems from the last 75 years was associated with an 11 percent increased risk of Parkinson’s compared to groundwater dating back to the ice age, more than 12,000 years ago.
‘We speculate that the apparent protective effect of older groundwater is seen mainly in carbonate aquifers because these systems can show a clearer contrast between newer and older water,’ Krzyzanowski said.
She added: ‘”In these aquifers, newly recharged groundwater is more vulnerable to surface contamination, while older groundwater can remain cleaner if it is separated from recent inputs by a confining layer.
‘In contrast, glacial aquifers tend to slow groundwater movement and naturally filter contaminants as water travels underground. As a result, differences in contamination between newer and older groundwater in these aquifers may be smaller and therefore harder to detect.’
Boiling water and using household water filters can help remove contaminants.
