Welders Show Elevated Rate of Parkinson Symptoms
(NY, Reuters Health, 2/3/05)

Dr. Bruce A. Racette of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and associates, assessed 1,423 welders for Parkinson's Disease, a progressive neurological condition characterized by tremors, muscle rigidity, slowed movement and coordination problems. The investigators diagnosed between six and ten percent of the welders with the disease, while 13 percent were identified as having “probable” Parkinson's Disease. The researchers compared the subjects with those from a previous study of residents of Copiah County, Mississippi and concluded that the welders' rates of developing this disease are 7 to 10 times higher than in the general male population of Copiah County. The scientists speculate that a toxin in welding fumes, possibly manganese, may damage the brain cells that produce dopamine.

(Neurology, January 25, 2005)