Parkinson`s disease and occupational exposure to organic solvents, agricultural chemicals and mercury--a case-referent study.

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Abstract
Parkinson''s disease has been associated with heavy occupational exposure to CS2. This solvent and other organic solvent may cause neurotoxic effects. The hypothesis was raised that organic solvents in general may be associated with Parkinson''s disease. A case-referent study design was applied and some other suspected exposures were studied also. The diagnosis registers of 2 Swedish hospitals were used as the source of subjects. Male in-patients with Parkinson''s disease (the cases) or subarachnoid hemorrhage (referents), with symptom appearance between 35 and 69 yr of age and residence in the vicinity of the hospitals, were included. Occupational exposure to the chemicals under study was determined from questionnaire answers of 91 cases and 75 referents. No differences in exposure frequency to organic solvents in general were observed but 3 cases had been exposed to CS2 compared to no referents. Six cases, but only 2 referents, had been exposed to Hg and further exploration of a possible association between exposure to Hg and Parkinson''s disease was recommended. The outcome of the study did not support the hypothesis that occupational exposure to organic solvents in general increased the risk of Parkinson''s disease; but the confidence intervals of the odds ratios did not rule out such possibilities.