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I had plenty of exposure to TCE during the 70's and 80's and was diagnosed with PD in 1994 at age 42. Nic 56/14 On Mon, Jan 26, 2009 at 3:22 PM, Arnie Kuzmack <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gary Greenberg" <[log in to unmask] > > > To: "Occ-Env-Med-L" <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 6:45 AM > Subject: [occ-env-med-l] NYT: Parkinson's & TCE debate > > > Exposed to Solvent, Worker Faces Hurdles > > http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/us/25toxic.html?_r=1&ref=health > [Please visit the original website to view the whole article. - Mod.] > > By FELICITY BARRINGER > Published: January 24, 2009 > > BEREA, Ky. — When the University of Kentucky published new research in > 2008 suggesting that exposure to a common industrial solvent might > increase the risk for Parkinson's disease, the moment was a source of > satisfaction to Ed Abney, a 53-year-old former tool-and-die worker. > > Mr. Abney, now sidelined by Parkinson's, had spent more than two > decades up to his elbows in a drum of the solvent, trichloroethylene, > while he cleaned metal piping at a now-shuttered Dresser Industries > plant here. > > The university study had focused on him and his factory co-workers who > worked near the same 55-gallon drum of the vaguely sweet-smelling > chemical. It found that 27 workers had either the anxiety, tremors, > rigidity or other symptoms associated with Parkinson's, or had motor > skills that were significantly impaired, compared with a healthy peer > group. The study, Mr. Abney thought, was the scientific evidence he > needed to claim worker's compensation benefits. > > He was wrong. The medical researchers would not sign the form > attesting that Mr. Abney's disease was linked to his work. > > Individuals like Mr. Abney are caught between the conflicting > imperatives of science and law — and there is a huge gap between what > researchers are discovering about environmental contaminants and what > they can prove about their impact on disease. The gap has ensured that > only a tiny fraction of worker's compensation payments are received by > those who were exposed to harmful substances at work. > > "It's awfully difficult for any doctor or researcher to say to an > individual: 'You have this disease because you were exposed at this > time,' " said J. Paul Leigh, a professor of public health sciences at > the University of California, Davis. > > ... > > -- > Gary N. Greenberg, MD MPH Sysop / Moderator Occ-Env-Med-L MailList > Univ. N. Carolina School Public Health > Medical Director http://www.UrbanMin.org > Urban Ministries of Wake County Open Door Clinic > http://www.OpenDoorDocs.org > [log in to unmask] http://occhealthnews.net > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto: > [log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn