The lawsuit represents a new legal shift connecting the pesticide to adult neurological disorders, separate from previous mass torts involving childhood developmental harms from prenatal exposure.
Dr. Bronstein described the science associating Parkinson's with chlorpyrifos as "very robust," including "strong epidemiological evidence."
The Environmental Protection Agency currently allows limited agricultural applications of chlorpyrifos despite a phased ban on residential uses that began in 2001.
"If we want to create a world where diseases like Parkinson's are increasingly rare instead of common, we need to reduce or eliminate our use of chemicals tied to the disease," said Ray Dorsey, a neurologist at Atria Health and Research Institute.
Public health advocates continue to push for a total ban due to the chemical's long-term persistence and regulatory failures.
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"Stopping use of chlorpyrifos would be a great place to start," Dorsey said.
