[MAIPC] MAIPC Digest, Vol 43, Issue 18

[Muth, Norris (MUTH)]

I certainly hope nobody takes medical advice form me, but a cursory examination of the causes of Parkinsons include (as with the vast majority of diseases) a complex interaction between genetic variation and environmental triggers. I tried to attach the paper that Michael cited but it appears to be too large for the list. I’m happy to share it with anyone who wants to see it. To be clear, the paper doesn’t assess a direct link between glyphosate and Parkinsons, but rather, it presents a case that suggests that glyphosate (negatively) influences a normal cell process that is thought to be associated with Parkinsons.

I am a bit concerned about the tone of this paper, even though it is peer-reviewed. The first sentence of the abstract states: "Herbicides have been recognized as the main environmental factor associated with human neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease(PD).” Since it is in the abstract it isn’t supported with a citation. But it also isn’t supported with a citation anywhere else in the manuscript and I can find no peer-reviewed article that would actually support this claim. That is cause for concern to me.

I certainly don’t mean to suggest that pesticides can’t be dangerous. Far from it. I’m also not commenting here on the adequacy of current testing and procedures. I just think that the papers I can find don’t suggest a strong role for glyphosate as a cause for Parkinsons. My reading of it is that the there may be some merit and it may warrant further investigation, but to me the case seems very speculative at present.

Best,
Norris

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Norris Z. Muth, Associate Professor of Biology
muth at juniata.edu<mailto:muth at juniata.edu>

office: 1054 VonLiebig Center for Science
tel: 814-641-3632
** I am available on a limited basis and by appointment only during my spring 2015 sabbatical **

Juniata College
1700 Moore St.
Huntingdon, PA 16652
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