Surprise, surprise. Another new study links lawn and farming chemicals with Parkinson's Disease:

Individuals whose occupation involves contact with pesticides appear to have an increased risk of having Parkinson's disease, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Overall, the study found that those whose job involved using pesticides were 80% more likely to develop the condition, and three chemicals of the eight examined were particularly likely to elevate Parkinson's numbers.

Three individual compounds—an organochloride (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), an herbicide (paraquat) and an insecticide (permethrin)—were associated with a more than three-fold increased risk of Parkinson's disease. All three have been shown to have effects on dopaminergic neurons—affected by Parkinson's disease—in the laboratory.

Beyond the Parkinson's link, which is eye-popping enough on its own, this discovery is worth noting for several other reasons.

First,it's important to point out that one of the chemicals, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, is a shockingly common herbicide.  Indeed, you may have it in your house right now (brand name lawn mixes: "Weed B Gon MAX", "PAR III", "Trillion", "Tri-Kil", "Killex" and "Weedaway Premium 3-Way XP Turf Herbicide") since it is used widely across the United States and Canada (more on this below). So farmers aren't necessarily poisoning you on this one. 

Which brings us to point number two. Occupational use of chemicals was the focus of this study -- not excessive use, not misuse, but normal contact. Paraquat, permethrin, and, yes, even 2, 4-D are all used in conventional farming. Big Ag apologists, though, like to argue that as long as pesticides and herbicides are used according to factory specs, no one should blame farmers for their use. Why, after all, the FDA itself tested these products and found them to be A-OK! (Isn't it amazing how farmers can SO love and loathe the FDA, sometimes in the same exhalation?) Well, this study shows that exactly that kind of normal, recommended, LEGAL usage of certain common ag chemicals is exhibitting a link to increased likelihood of Parkinson's disease. You want to argue for your right to be a statistic? Play through, my good man.

3) Canada is, right now, undergoing something of a trade-invasion by Dow Agro. What does that have to do with Parkinson's? Well, at issue is Quebec province's ban of 2,4-D, a ban that Canada's federal government is defending and which Dow says is completely unwarranted (we covered the topic last year). Despite the chemical being banned across Europe, Dow claims evidence is scant regarding its danger.

This, too, is a frequent defense made by the pro-chem farming crowd. Evidence is scant. There's no proof. No studies have shown a danger with this chemical or agriculture input. Well, the problem here, apart from the FDA being populated with industry regulars instead of epidemiologists and public health scientists, is that chemical engineers don't know what to test for. Who could have predicted where these chemicals would end up (waterways and water tables) and what impact they would have on people (Parkinson's disease) or on wildlife (paraquat wreaks havoc on amphibians)? Not a pesticide developer turned FDA pol. The problem is not that farmers are bad evil men who want to poison you. The problem is that we have an FDA that's willing to release chemicals for occupational usage without a real understanding of what they do to our bodies and the ecosphere. Who knew, when the eight chemicals examined in this study were approved, that Parkinson's would become an epidemic public health problem?That's not to let them off the hook. That's my way of saying, "Are you nuts?? Stop approving this crap!"

And what's the answer, anyway? Do we just keep approving these chemicals for home and farm until we see climbing death rates due to mysterious disorders?

Or do we take matters into our own hands and start buying organic and from farmers we personally trust not to use chemicals, thereby creating a market that explains to chemical producers and the FDA alike that we value a far less toxic society?