A possible link has been found between Parkinson’s and contact with pesticides. An article in The Times, UK on 28 June 2008 highlights a study, conducted by Harvard School of Public Health and published in the Annals of Neurology. It found that people who in 1992 said that they had been in contact with pesticides were 70% more likely to develop Parkinson’s within the next ten years.

The study has more credibility than previous studies as the 413 people involved who had developed Parkinson’s were questioned long before the disease developed.

The release of the study follows previous findings last week in work done by the UK government’s Pesticides Residues Committee, which found that 39% of fruit and vegetables sold in the high street contained residues. Georgina Downs, of the UK Pesticides Campaign, said: "The government and the EU must take immediate action. The only way to protect public health and prevent any illnesses that could be associated with pesticides is to avoid exposure altogether through the widespread adoption of truly sustainable non-chemical natural methods."