(NaturalHealth365)  Imagine stepping outside to breathe “fresh” air only to learn that with each inhale, you might be drawing in an invisible chemical linked to a devastating brain disease.  That’s the alarming conclusion from a new nationwide study published in Neurology, which has pushed a little-known solvent called trichloroethylene (TCE) into the spotlight.

Researchers found that seniors living in areas with the highest levels of airborne TCE had a 10% higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease than those in the lowest exposure zones.  And in some places, the risk wasn’t just 10%; it was four times higher for those unlucky enough to live downwind of a major TCE-emitting factory.

The most chilling part?  Many people are exposed to TCE every single day without even realizing it.

How easy is it to be exposed without knowing?

TCE is a chlorinated solvent that’s been used for nearly a century in everything from:

• Metal degreasing (car engines, airplane parts, military equipment)

• Dry cleaning (though phased out decades ago, residues still linger)

• Adhesives, paints, and cleaning products (including consumer-grade sprays and degreasers)

• Electronics and battery manufacturing

Once released, TCE doesn’t just vanish.  It seeps into soil, groundwater, and indoor air.  In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that up to 30% of America’s drinking water supplies were contaminated with TCE as recently as 2000.

Although the EPA announced a ban in 2024, the chemical is still in use today due to industry pushback and a subsequent legal pause.  That means millions of Americans remain unknowingly exposed, not just factory workers, but also families living near industrial sites, military bases, or even homes built above contaminated groundwater.

Too many people are breathing TCE in while sleeping.  They are drinking this toxic substance in toxic tap water and absorbing this chemical when taking a shower.

Why TCE and Parkinson’s disease are linked together

Scientists know that Parkinson’s disease develops when dopamine-producing brain cells are damaged or destroyed.  Animal studies show that TCE can cross the blood-brain barrier and directly cause degeneration of these critical neurons.

Human evidence keeps stacking up:

• Camp Lejeune military base in North Carolina saw a 70% higher rate of Parkinson’s among veterans exposed to TCE-contaminated water.

• Communities near TCE-emitting factories show striking “hot spots” of Parkinson’s cases.

• The new Medicare study, spanning over 1.3 million Americans, shows a dose-response relationship: the more TCE in the air, the higher the risk of Parkinson’s.

While the study stops short of proving causation, the pattern is hard to ignore. As one researcher put it: “The sheer number of people exposed to TCE in the environment means the potential public health impact could be substantial.”

What can you do to protect yourself?

Here’s the reality: you can’t entirely avoid TCE.  It’s too widespread.  You could move across the country, buy organic food, install the best water filter, and still breathe in this toxin from industrial pollution that lingers in the air.

But what you can do is reduce your toxic burden and support your body’s ability to detoxify.

Natural solutions for reducing your toxic load:

• Support liver detox pathways with organic cruciferous vegetables, milk thistle, and castor oil packs.

• Optimize glutathione, the body’s master antioxidant, through N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), alpha-lipoic acid, or liposomal glutathione.

• Sweat it out: Sauna therapy has been shown to help mobilize and eliminate persistent pollutants.

• Heal the gut: A strong microbiome reduces toxin reabsorption and strengthens resilience.

None of these methods eliminates TCE from the environment, but they can reduce the damage it causes within your body.

Do you have a detox strategy?

What if the detox strategies used by 27 of the very best scientists, researchers, doctors, and nutritionists were right at your fingertips?

Available now: Own Jonathan Landsman’s Whole Body Detox Summit, a collection of 8 core episodes, bonus masterclasses, easy-to-read transcripts, and step-by-step detox strategies that can help you:

• Identify hidden toxins in your home, food, and water

• Discover the most effective ways to detox your body

• Avoid the biggest mistakes people make when detoxing

• Use foods, herbs, and lifestyle shifts to protect your brain and body

Because while you can’t stop factories from polluting the air, you can take action to protect yourself and your family.

Sources for this article include:

Neurology.org
Healthday.com