Pollutants linked to brain disease

A surge in the number of people suffering brain diseases in Australia and other Western countries is likely to have been caused by environmental factors.

A report in the journal Public Health says the number of people suffering Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and motor neurone disease has soared in Western countries, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Scientists have linked the increase to rises in the level of pesticides, industrial effluents, domestic waste, car exhausts and other pollutants.

The Public Health report looked at the incidence of brain disease in Britain, the US, Japan, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain from 1979-97.

It found that dementias more than trebled for men and rose nearly 90% among women in England and Wales, and all the other countries were also affected.

The report ruled out genetic causes as any changes to DNA would take
centuries to take effect.

This is quite intersting, and really comes as no surprise. I'm sure there are quite of number of diseases with environmental triggers or causes.

Do you have a link for this report???

Got a link for the story?

Pollutants linked to brain disease
tvnz.co.nz...



Brain diseases treble in 20 years, says new report
news.independent.co.uk...