Dutch neurologist Bas Bloem believes the global explosion of Parkinson’s disease is less a mystery of aging than a consequence of widespread chemical exposure — and that regulators have failed to act on the science.
Bartosz Brzeziński reports for Politico.
In short:
- Parkinson’s disease has more than doubled worldwide in the past 20 years, and Bloem argues that pesticides like paraquat and glyphosate are key environmental drivers behind the surge.
- Despite bans on some known neurotoxins, Europe’s regulatory system still relies on outdated toxicology tests and industry-submitted data that miss long-term, real-world effects — especially on the brain.
- Bloem and his colleagues are pushing for prevention-first reforms and recognition of Parkinson’s as a man-made epidemic, similar to past failures with asbestos and leaded gasoline.
Key quote:
“Parkinson’s is a man-made disease. And the tragedy is that we’re not even trying to prevent it.”
— Bas Bloem, neurologist, Radboud University Medical Center
Why this matters:
Parkinson’s isn’t just affecting older adults by chance — it’s increasingly tied to the chemicals we let into our food and environment. We’ve been here before with tobacco, asbestos, and leaded gasoline. Each time, it took years of advocacy, science, and scandal to pry open industry defenses and force change. Bas Bloem is now battling not just for the brains of future generations, but against a regulatory system that seems stuck in the past.
Read more:
