Did You Develop Parkinson's Disease From Exposure to Chlorpyrifos?
Long-term exposure to the widely used pesticide chlorpyrifos has been linked to a range of serious health issues, including a 2.5-times increased risk of Parkinson’s disease. Those at greatest risk for chlorpyrifos exposure include farmworkers, pesticide applicators, agricultural employees, and those who have lived and worked in areas where chlorpyrifos was heavily sprayed. If you or a loved one has developed Parkinson’s disease allegedly caused by residential or occupational chlorpyrifos exposure, you may be entitled to compensation.
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Chlorpyrifos Lawsuits
Long-term exposure to the widely used pesticide chlorpyrifos has been linked to a range of serious health issues, including a 2.5-times increased risk of Parkinson's disease. Those at greatest risk for chlorpyrifos exposure include farmworkers, pesticide applicators, agricultural employees, and those who have lived and worked in areas where chlorpyrifos was heavily sprayed. If you or a loved one has developed Parkinson's disease allegedly caused by residential or occupational chlorpyrifos exposure, you may be entitled to compensation.
Chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide, has faced significant scrutiny recently for its potential health risks, particularly its alleged connection to Parkinson’s disease. Individuals at greatest risk for exposure to chlorpyrifos-based pesticides include farmworkers, pesticide applicators, agricultural employees, and those who have lived and worked in areas where chlorpyrifos was heavily sprayed. If you were exposed to chlorpyrifos and subsequently developed Parkinson’s disease, contact our consumer advocates or fill out the form on this page to find out how we can help. You may be eligible for compensation through a chlorpyrifos Parkinson’s disease lawsuit, which an experienced attorney can evaluate for you.
What is Chlorpyrifos?
Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide that has been utilized in agricultural practices since the 1960s. Originally developed by Dow Chemical Company, it was designed to control a variety of pests, including insects that threaten crops such as corn, soybeans, and fruit trees. Despite its effectiveness in pest control, the widespread use of chlorpyrifos has raised significant health concerns due to its neurotoxic properties.
How Does Chlorpyrifos Work?
Chlorpyrifos works by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme crucial for the proper functioning of the nervous system. The pesticide or insecticide has been marketed under various brand names, including Dursban, Lorsban, Warhawk, and Cobalt, and was widely accessible for use in agricultural and residential settings for decades before residential chlorpyrifos use was banned in 2000. In 2020, Corteva Agriscience announced that it would no longer produce chlorpyrifos, yet the pesticide remains available for use on certain crops in the U.S., including soybeans, apples, and alfalfa.
How Are People Exposed to Chlorpyrifos?
Chlorpyrifos exposure can occur through several pathways, particularly for those working in agriculture or living near treated fields. The primary routes of exposure include:
- Inhalation: Breathing in airborne particles during pesticide application.
- Skin Contact: Handling chlorpyrifos directly or coming into contact with contaminated surfaces.
- Ingestion: Consuming food or water that has been contaminated with chlorpyrifos residues.
- Environmental Drift: Pesticide drift can carry chlorpyrifos from application sites to nearby homes and communities.
Farmworkers, agricultural employees, and pesticide applicators are at the highest risk of exposure to chlorpyrifos. However, residents living near agricultural areas may also be affected, often without their knowledge. The potential for contamination of groundwater and surface water further exacerbates the potential risk and can lead to widespread exposure in agricultural communities.
Potential Side Effects Leading to a Chlorpyrifos Lawsuit
The potential health implications of chlorpyrifos exposure are serious and multifaceted. Some of the potential side effects that have been linked to this widely used pesticide include:
- Neurological Disorders: Long-term exposure has been associated with various neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s disease.
- Developmental Issues in Children: Research suggests that exposure to chlorpyrifos during pregnancy or early childhood can lead to developmental delays, cognitive deficits, and behavioral problems.
- Respiratory Issues: Inhalation of chlorpyrifos can cause respiratory distress and other lung-related issues.
- Endocrine Disruption: Chlorpyrifos may interfere with hormonal functions, potentially leading to reproductive health concerns.
These alleged side effects have prompted individuals and families affected by chlorpyrifos exposure to seek legal recourse through chlorpyrifos lawsuits against manufacturers and distributors of the pesticide.
Link Between Chlorpyrifos and Parkinson's Disease
Recent scientific studies have warned of a connection between chlorpyrifos exposure and the development of Parkinson’s disease. One landmark chlorpyrifos study published by UCLA Health in December 2025 found that individuals with long-term exposure to chlorpyrifos had a more than 2.5-fold increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease compared to those without such exposure.
The research identified a potential biological mechanism by which chlorpyrifos may contribute to Parkinson’s disease. It was found that chlorpyrifos disrupts the process of autophagy, which is essential for clearing damaged proteins from brain cells. When this process is impaired, toxic proteins accumulate, leading to inflammation and neuronal death – hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease.
Chlorpyrifos Lawsuits Alleging Parkinson's Disease and Other Injuries
Chlorpyrifos claims brought on behalf of farmworkers, pesticide applicators, agricultural employees, and others who allege that the pesticide chlorpyrifos has led to Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders are currently being evaluated. Some notable chlorpyrifos Parkinson’s disease lawsuits that have already been filed include:
June 2026 – A former pest control worker in New York, Alexander Ramos, claims that he developed Parkinson’s disease or “precursor ailments that will progress into Parkinson’s disease” as a result of exposure to chlorpyrifos while working with the pesticide.
October 2020 – Agricultural workers in California sue Corteva and Dow Chemical Co., alleging that their children’s neurological injuries and autism were caused by exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos.
September 2020 – Plaintiffs claim in a chlorpyrifos lawsuit filed in California that exposure to the pesticide caused their children to suffer severe neurological injuries.
July 2007 – Farmworkers and advocacy groups sue the EPA in federal district court in an effort to halt the use of chlorpyrifos, which they say, “puts thousands of workers at risk of serious illness every year.”
Chlorpyrifos Warnings from Federal Regulators
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a long and complicated history with chlorpyrifos, marked by years of scientific review, legal battles, and shifting policies. Despite mounting evidence of the chemical’s dangers, the EPA has been slow to take decisive action, often succumbing to industry pressure and delaying critical regulatory decisions.
December 2024 – The EPA issues a proposed rule to revoke all tolerances for chlorpyrifos residues, except for those associated with the use of chlorpyrifos on 11 specific crops: alfalfa, apple, asparagus, tart cherry, citrus, cotton, peach, soybean, strawberry, sugar beet, and spring and winter wheat.
February 2024 – The EPA issues a Federal Register notice to amend the Code of Federal Regulations to reflect the court’s reinstatement of tolerances for chlorpyrifos in food products.
November 2023 – The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals vacates the EPA’s 2021 rule.
August 2021 – The EPA revokes all tolerances for chlorpyrifos in food products, effectively banning its use on crops intended for human consumption.
April 2021 – An appeals court orders the EPA to grant the petition and issue a final rule revoking chlorpyrifos tolerances and modifying or canceling its registrations for food use.
2017 – The EPA denies the petition to revoke all chlorpyrifos tolerances and ban the insecticide.
2016 – The EPA publishes a Human Health Risk Assessment, finding that all uses of chlorpyrifos are unsafe. According to the assessment, toddlers were being exposed to chlorpyrifos at levels more than 100 times the agency’s level of safety tolerance.
2007 – The Pesticide Action Network of North America and the Natural Resources Defense Council file a petition with the EPA, asking the agency to ban chlorpyrifos and revoke all product registrations.
2001 – The EPA bans chlorpyrifos for indoor residential use after research shows that children exposed to the insecticide had smaller head circumference, a known indicator of reduced cognitive function.
Chlorpyrifos Side Effect Studies
December 2025 – Researchers from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA examine the neurotoxic effects of chlorpyrifos exposure using human, rodent, and zebrafish studies. They conclude that long-term residential exposure to the pesticide increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease by more than 2.5 times.
May 2017 – Compared to their peers, children born to mothers living near farms that used neurotoxic pesticides like chlorpyrifos in California’s agricultural Salinas Valley had lower IQs and reduced verbal comprehension at age seven.
November 2016 – The EPA concludes in a Human Health Risk Assessment for chlorpyrifos that children are at high risk for chlorpyrifos exposure, reporting that among children 1-2 years of age, exposures from food exceed the agency’s safety threshold by 140 times.
April 2011 – A study of 265 New York City minority children born before the 2001 ban on in-home use of chlorpyrifos finds a link between increases in chlorpyrifos levels in the babies’ umbilical cord blood and decreases in cognitive functioning at age seven. According to researchers, children born before the chlorpyrifos ban were more than five times more likely to be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and more than six times more likely to exhibit symptoms of ADHD.
April 2008 – A study of organophosphorus pesticide exposure in urban/suburban children finds that more than 91% of children tested have detectable levels of chlorpyrifos in their bodies. “The findings from this study demonstrate that dietary intake of OP pesticides represents the major source of exposure in young children,” the researchers report.
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Why We Think Chlorpyrifos Manufacturers and Distributors Should Be Held Liable
Manufacturers and distributors of chlorpyrifos have a responsibility to ensure the safety of the products they make available to consumers. Given the mounting evidence linking chlorpyrifos to serious health risks, including Parkinson’s disease, there are several reasons why these companies may be held liable through chlorpyrifos lawsuits:
- Negligence: Manufacturers are accused of failing to adequately test the safety of chlorpyrifos or to warn consumers about its potential health risks.
- Fraudulent Concealment: If evidence shows that manufacturers were aware of the dangers associated with chlorpyrifos but chose to conceal this information, they could be held accountable for damages.
- Public Health Impact: The widespread use of chlorpyrifos has significant implications for public health, particularly for vulnerable populations such as farmworkers, agricultural employees, pesticide applicators, and children.
Holding chlorpyrifos manufacturers accountable is essential to ensure that affected individuals receive the compensation they deserve and to promote safer agricultural practices across the United States.
What should you do? If you or someone you love has developed Parkinson’s disease or another alleged injury from toxic exposure to chlorpyrifos, you should contact a lawyer as soon as possible to discuss filing a chlorpyrifos lawsuit.
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If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and have a history of occupational or residential chlorpyrifos exposure, it is crucial to understand your legal options. Consulting with an experienced product liability lawyer who specializes in toxic exposure claims can help you evaluate your legal situation and determine the best course of action.
Remember, you are not alone in this fight. Families across the country are standing up to the chemical industry and seeking justice for the harm their loved ones have suffered. With the right attorney by your side, you can work to hold the manufacturers of chlorpyrifos accountable and pursue the compensation you and your family deserve.
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