Jobs involving exposure to common solvents can put workers at risk for developing symptoms of Parkinson's disease earlier in life and more severe disease symptoms throughout its course, according to a recent study in Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Italian researchers studying 900 Parkinson’s patients found that those exposed to hydrocarbon solvents, found in petroleum-based products such as paints and glues, were an average of three years younger at first sign of disease symptoms. The severity of disease symptoms was found to be directly related to the amount of hydrocarbon exposure that was experienced.