Apparently this is not the 1st study to link the use of pesticides and insecticides to our industry(I’ve seen a blurb/snippet here and there). This new information comes from Bio-Med Central a open access site of peer reviewed journals.
I 1st came across this story on LandscapeOnline where theyhad a short story about the published findings. Including this:
Organophosphate Link
“Similar to previous studies, both herbicide and insecticide use were shown to have significant positive associations with Parkinson’s disease, although the association was stronger for insecticide use,” the authors note.
“Two insecticide classes (the organochlorine and organophosphorus classes) were shown to significantly increase Parkinson’s disease risk.”
To read on it sounds as though there is strong evidence to support the link between insecticides and Parkinson’s. If this is your field of expertise, I suggest you take a look at this study on the BMC site. I am also providing the link to the pdf of the study.
Personally the application of chemicals has never been a large part of anything I’ve ever been part of in all my years in the Green Industry. Now; looking back, and reading this I am grateful for that. There are a lot of folks who spend a lot of time with herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizer all of which can cause problems. In the end I hope it’s worth it.
Let’s all stay safe out there, while we are creating these beautiful landscapes.
The Whispering Crane Institute 
Rickie
When I first entered this field, 36 years ago, I was on the liquid lawn maintenance side.
After 4 years, there was an almost clandestine study on, primarily, organophosphate concerns.
I was going to a hospital, every week for a colonesterate? test.
NOT paid for by Insurance.
$75 bucks a PoP back then.
These chemicals, I recall affect the nervous system, and I was warned that when you realize you may have a problem…it is TOO late.
Richard