At least half of would-be retirees want to spend their golden years on (or at least near) a golf course. But maybe that’s not such a good idea. A new population-based study argues that living near golf courses could dramatically drive up one’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
The culprit? Incidental exposure to pesticides lingering in the air and seeping into the water supply.
More specifically, those living within a mile of a golf course had more than twice the odds of receiving a Parkinson’s diagnosis than those who lived more than six miles away. The risk remained higher for people living up to three miles away. Finally, the connection started to fade after three miles, suggesting a potential threshold effect.
“Our results showed a clear dose-response relationship,” the researchers wrote. “People living closer to golf courses were at significantly greater risk for Parkinson’s.”
Pesticides, including neurotoxins such as chlorpyrifos and maneb, have long been groundskeeping mainstays because of their ability to keep the fairways and greens so well groomed. Earlier studies have shown links between chemicals like these and the development of Parkinson’s.
Methodology
The team – made up of researchers from The Mayo Clinic, the University of Kansas Medical Center, and the University of Rochester Medical Center – leveraged advanced statistical models to track the relationship, while adjusting for variables such as age, sex, race, income, healthcare utilization, and rural versus urban residence.
The researchers combed through data culled from more than 5,500 individuals in Minnesota and Wisconsin, from the Rochester Epidemiology Project. They started with the medical histories (along with residential addresses) of 419 Parkinson’s patients and 5,113 matched controls.
Then, they examined how close the study participants lived to any of the 139 golf courses in a 27-county region and compared those numbers to the characteristics of local drinking water systems.
Groundwater Risk
Notably, the researchers also identified elevated risk levels among those participants whose drinking water came from groundwater service areas that included a golf course. Those residents had nearly double the odds of Parkinson’s compared to those living in similar regions that lacked a golf course.
The team noted even higher risk levels in “ vulnerable” areas – those with shallow bedrock or coarse soil, which allow pesticides to more easily leak into aquifers.
More than three-quarters of the study participants – 77% – lived in groundwater-based service areas, underscoring the severity of the risk. The data suggests that shared municipal water systems might be the focal point of exposure, especially when wells operate near golf courses.
Even after accounting for water contamination, the researchers found that proximity alone exposed an elevated Parkinson’s risk, especially in urban areas. The link implicates airborne pesticide residue.
“Denser residential areas may trap more airborne contaminants, contributing to elevated exposure,” the authors wrote.
New Evidence Tied to Course Maintenance
While anecdotal and occupational evidence have pointed to a causal relationship between golf courses and Parkinson’s disease in the past, this is one of the first large-scale population studies to look into that relationship.
Previous (and smaller) studies have uncovered elevated rates of Parkinson’s among golf course employees and anyone living near treated greens. But that research lacked the breadth of geographic and medical data these researchers had access to.
At the same time, the researchers failed to uncover any increased risk tied to municipal wells, regardless of their location. This, the authors suggest, could echo the complexity of local water treatment and distribution systems, which can vary widely.
The researchers concluded that what they found highlights the need for tougher public health policies regarding pesticide use on golf courses, particularly in areas where residents depend on groundwater access.
“Our study provides biologically plausible, population-level evidence that both environmental and waterborne pesticide exposures may increase [Parkinson’s] risk in nearby communities,” they wrote.
Further Reading
Global Parkinson’s Disease Cases to Surge by 2050
Blood Test Offers Parkinson’s Early Warning System
University Develops AI-Powered Brain Implant for Parkinson’s Patients
