A golf course surrounded by suburban tract housing in Utah. halbergman / iStock Unreleased
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In a fresh study, scientists are getting all worried about the pesticides used on golf courses. Like, apparently, if you live within three miles of a golf course, you could be at a higher risk of getting Parkinson’s disease.
The study, which got published in JAMA Network Open, looked at data from over 5,500 folks living in Minnesota and Wisconsin. They checked out 419 people with Parkinson’s disease and 5,113 peeps without it. They also peeped at how close these folks lived to 139 different golf courses and compared those living near golf courses with local drinking water systems to those without golf courses in their water systems.
So, it turns out that living within one mile of a golf course is where the real risks are at. They found a 126% increase in the chance of getting Parkinson’s disease if you live close to a golf course compared to those living six or more miles away. Even living within three miles of a golf course puts you at a higher risk, but it’s not as bad as being right on top of it.
But hey, it’s not just breathing in the chemicals that’s the problem. Living in an area that shares water services with a golf course also hikes up your risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to the study. People living in a water service area with a golf course are nearly twice as likely to get Parkinson’s compared to those without a golf course in their water system.
The researchers think it’s all about the chemicals used on golf courses, which can seep into the groundwater and mess things up. They mentioned pesticides like chlorpyrifos and maneb as being big culprits.
The lead author, Brittany Krzyzanowski, said this study is just observational and those living near golf courses shouldn’t start packing their bags just yet. More research is needed to prove if there’s a real link, but at least this study can help people lower their risks and push policymakers to think about how they use pesticides.
While the study authors know there are limits to their research, other experts are throwing out some more limitations to consider. Parkison’s UK’s David Dexter said, “Parkinson’s starts in the brain 10-15 years before diagnosis and the study didn’t only use subjects who permanently lived in the area.” So like, maybe this whole thing isn’t as clear-cut as it seems.
Even with all these limitations, scientists are calling for officials to rethink how they maintain golf courses to keep the public safe from these hidden hazards. Michael Okun, a professor of neurology, said, “These results raise concerns about how chemicals applied for aesthetics may silently shape neurological health.” He thinks pesticides from golf courses could be getting into our water supplies, creating an issue we can’t ignore anymore.
So there you have it, folks. Scientists are spilling the tea on the risks of living near golf courses. Time to rethink how we keep those greens looking fresh without messing up our health.
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