Living near dry cleaners linked to higher Parkinson’s odds in older adults

People age 67 and older who lived closer to dry cleaners had higher odds of Parkinson’s disease than those who lived farther away, according to a U.S. study. The researchers said exposure to dry-cleaning chemicals such as trichloroethylene (TCE) could help explain the association, but more research is needed.

The highest odds were among those living within 500 feet of a dry cleaner, with particularly strong links in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, parts of the South, the Detroit area, and the New York City metropolitan area extending into New Jersey.

Recommended Reading

July 31, 2026 News by Marisa Horak, MS

Study shows Parkinson’s affects brain circuits in different ways

Dry-cleaning chemicals may contribute to Parkinson’s risk

“Our findings suggest that chemicals used in dry cleaning may contaminate nearby neighborhoods and contribute to [Parkinson’s] risk,” the researchers wrote in “Nationwide association between proximity to dry cleaners and risk of Parkinson’s disease,” published in npj Parkinson’s Disease.

Breathing certain chemicals may fuel the buildup of protein clumps called Lewy bodies in the brain. Lewy bodies can damage nerve cells and lead to symptoms of Parkinson’s. One chemical, TCE, a solvent used in dry cleaning, can persist in soil, air, and groundwater for many years and has been linked to an increased risk of Parkinson’s. The researchers noted, however, that they could not specifically test measured TCE levels in relation to Parkinson’s risk in this study.

This study examined whether living near dry cleaners was associated with Parkinson’s. It included U.S. Medicare beneficiaries age 67 and older who lived within five miles of a dry cleaner. The researchers compared 180,982 people newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s with more than 18.8 million people who did not have the disease.

Parkinson’s was more common in older adults and men — patterns already well known from previous research. However, the closer people lived to a dry cleaner, the higher their odds of Parkinson’s. Those living within 500 feet of a dry cleaner had 14% higher odds than those living four to five miles away.

The strongest link was found for Parkinson’s with gait disturbance or postural instability, which can cause problems with walking and maintaining balance. People living within about 500 feet of a dry cleaner had 23% higher odds of Parkinson’s with these gait problems than those living four to five miles away.

Parkinson’s subtypes showed different patterns

Higher odds were also found for Parkinson’s with dementia and for Parkinson’s in people who had a fall recorded before their diagnosis, but not for Parkinson’s with tremor, a common motor symptom of the disease. For the dementia and falls groups, the association was not detectable beyond one mile from a dry cleaner.

When the researchers examined men and women separately, they found similar patterns in both groups. However, the association was somewhat stronger in men and remained noticeable at greater distances from dry cleaners. In women, the increased odds were mainly limited to those living in the closest distance ranges.

Although links were observed across the U.S., particularly strong associations were found in several regional clusters, led by southern Illinois, where living within about 500 feet of a dry cleaner was associated with 150% higher odds of Parkinson’s compared with living farther away in that region.

Strong associations were also observed along the Tennessee–Kentucky border, in central Pennsylvania, north-central Indiana, the Dallas–Fort Worth area, the greater Detroit region, parts of southern California, and the New York City metropolitan area.

Although distance from dry cleaners was only an indirect measure of possible chemical exposure, living closer was associated with higher odds of Parkinson’s among the older U.S. adults studied. “The association exhibited a clear dose–response relationship, with the greatest risk observed among individuals living within 0.1 mile of a dry cleaner compared with those residing furthest away,” the researchers wrote.