Study Links Living Near a Dry Cleaner to Higher Parkinson's Risk

By: Oluwasola Samuel, freelance health writer. Medically reviewed by: A. Odutola, MBBS, PhD, FRCSEd.

October 1, 2026

An AI-generated image of a corner street dry cleaning business on the left side and on the right is a portrait of an older African man in formal casual wear in a sitting position. Click on image to enlarge.

Introduction 

You have probably walked past a dry cleaner more times than you can count. Maybe it's the one on your street, or the shop you pass by on your way to work every morning. Most of us never think twice about it because it's just another business on the street.

But could living close to a dry cleaner affect your brain health over time?

In this article, we'll break down exactly what researchers found, why certain chemicals used in dry cleaning may be behind it, what this could mean for you and your family, and the practical steps you can take, and push for, to lower your risk.

About the study

Researchers wanted to find out if living close to a dry cleaner was linked to a person's chances of developing Parkinson's disease. To answer this, they turned to Medicare, a huge source of health records and health insurance programmes for older adults in the United States.

They looked at nearly 181,000 people who had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and compared them to almost 19 million people who had not. Everyone in the study was 67 years or older, and all were covered by Medicare between 2016 and 2018.

This is where the size of the study really matters. A small study looking at a handful of neighbourhoods might show a pattern, which can be seen as coincidence. But when researchers see the same pattern across almost 19 million people, that spread across the whole country becomes much harder to dismiss.

What the study found 

What makes this study stand out isn't just that it found a link. The study also found that the closer someone lived to a dry cleaner, the higher their risk of Parkinson's disease seemed to be. The risk didn't stay the same no matter where you lived. The risk changed with distance.

The results showed a clear pattern. People who lived within about 500 feet of a dry cleaner had a 14% higher chance of developing Parkinson's disease compared to those who lived 4 to 5 miles away.

This risk did not stay fixed or constant, it changed depending on how close someone lived close to a dry cleaner. The nearer a person was to a dry cleaner, the higher their risk appeared. The farther away they lived, the lower it became. Researchers call this a dose-response pattern, meaning the amount of exposure seems to matter, not just whether someone was exposed at all.

One finding stood out even more because people living within about 0.1 miles of a dry cleaner were 23% more likely to have walking and balance problems, a specific pattern of Parkinson's symptoms. This suggests that certain chemical exposures may not only raise the risk of Parkinson's disease, but could also influence which symptoms a person develops.

The link was not the same everywhere. It was strongest in a few specific parts of the United States, including Dallas, Southeastern Illinois, and the area near the Tennessee-Kentucky border. Researchers believe this may be linked to how long dry cleaning chemicals have contaminated the soil and water in these areas, along with local geology and ageing infrastructure.

So why would living near a dry cleaner matter at all? 

For decades, dry cleaners used chemicals called Trichloroethylene (TCE) and Perchloroethylene (PCE) to remove stains from clothing without water. TCE was phased out years ago, but many dry cleaners switched to PCE instead. The problem is that PCE can break down into TCE underground, and both chemicals can stay in soil and water for years, even after a dry cleaner has closed down.

What the study means for Africans 

This study was carried out in the United States, using Medicare records, so the findings cannot be taken to apply automatically to other countries. However, if dry cleaning chemicals can settle into soil and groundwater over time in the United States, the same is true anywhere those chemicals are used.

In many African towns and cities, dry cleaning shops often sit right within residential neighbourhoods, sometimes just a few doors from family homes, rather than being separated into commercial zones. This makes the underlying concern in this study worth paying attention to, even without local data to confirm it directly.

There is another reason Parkinson's disease deserves attention in sub-Saharan Africa specifically. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health, USA, University College London, London, England, and the University of Lagos in Nigeria came together to study Parkinson's disease in people of African ancestry. The study was published in the Lancet Neurology. They found a genetic variant GBA1 which is carried by roughly half of West African patients with Parkinson's disease studied so far. This raises risk depending on how many copies a person carries, and is rarely found in European or Asian populations. This suggests Parkinson's disease may show up differently, and possibly more often in African populations. How environmental factors like exposure to TCE interact with the GBA 1 genetic variant to influence the risk of Parkinson’s disease in African populations remains to be studied.   

Limitations of the study 

This study has some important limitations worth knowing before drawing conclusions.

Association vs. Causality. First, researchers did not measure actual chemical levels in the air, water, or soil around each person's home. They only looked at how close someone lived to a dry cleaner, and assumed exposure based on distance. This means the link found is an association, not proof that dry cleaning chemicals directly caused any individual's Parkinson's disease.

Undetermined Duration of Exposure. Second, the researchers themselves noted that they did not know how long each person had actually lived at the address used in the study. Someone recorded as living near a dry cleaner may have moved there recently, or may have lived there for decades. This makes it harder to say exactly how much exposure time matters.

Missing Peer Review. Third, this study was published as an early, unedited manuscript to make the findings available quickly. It has not yet completed the full peer review and editing process that most published research goes through, so some details could still change before the final version is released.

Non-Generalisation. Finally, everyone included in the study was 67 years or older and covered by Medicare in the United States. That means the findings may not apply the same way to younger people, or to populations outside the US healthcare system.

None of this means the study should be ignored but it means that the findings point to a pattern worth taking seriously. This leaves room for more research to confirm exactly how and why this link exists.

What you could do to limit your risk

The most direct answer, based on the study itself, is to live as far away as possible from a dry cleaner as this is linked to lower risk. But let's be honest, most families cannot simply pack up and move because of a study. Income, housing availability, jobs, schools, and family ties all come into consideration in the choice of where people live, and that is completely understandable.

So instead of focusing on a solution that may not be practical and achievable, here are some helpful tips:

1. Pay attention to where you live and work

If you live very close to a dry cleaner, especially an older one that has been open for many years, it helps to simply be aware of it. You don't need to panic, you only need to be aware. If you ever notice unusual chemical smells around your home, or if you live above or right next to a dry cleaning shop, it is worth asking questions about how the business handles its chemicals.

2, Take extra care if you work in the dry cleaning industry

People who work inside dry cleaning shops are exposed to these chemicals far more directly than someone who simply lives nearby. If this applies to you or someone in your family, proper ventilation, protective equipment, and following safety guidelines at work matter even more.

3. Know the early signs of Parkinson's disease

Catching Parkinson's disease early does not prevent it, but it does mean earlier treatment and better quality of life for longer. 

You should watch out for:

• A slight tremor in the hand or fingers, especially at rest

• Stiffness or slowness in movement

• Smaller handwriting than before

• A reduced sense of smell

• Changes in balance or a shuffling walk

4. Support systemic solutions

Some of the strongest protection against this risk will not come from individual choices at all. It will come from town planning and public health policy, such as keeping dry cleaning businesses in commercial areas rather than residential zones, and properly monitoring old dry cleaning sites for chemical contamination even after the business has closed. These are not things one family can fix alone, but they are worth supporting and asking local authorities about, especially in fast-growing towns and cities where zoning rules are still developing.

Wrap up 

Living near a dry cleaner does not mean you will develop Parkinson's disease. What this study shows is a pattern, so it is not a guarantee. The truth is that most people who live close to a dry cleaner may never develop the condition. Also, many people who develop Parkinson's disease may never have lived anywhere near a dry cleaner.

What this means for you is that if you live close to a dry cleaner, there is no need to panic. But you need to stay aware, especially if you or someone in your family works in the dry cleaning industry or has noticed early signs like tremors, stiffness, or changes in balance. If you notice any of these changes in yourself or an older relative, don't wait till it gets worse. Book an appointment with your healthcare professional because Parkinson's disease is easier to manage when it's caught early.
 

Source: Krzyzanowski B, Beyene KM, Chirag SS, Faust I, Racette BA. Nationwide association between proximity to dry cleaners and risk of Parkinson's disease. npj Parkinson's Disease. 2026. doi: 10.1038/s41531-026-01513-6. Available here.

Related: Parkinson's Disease Explained for Africans: Symptoms and Treatment

Published: October 2, 2026.

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