Residents of Camp Lejeune, including many Marines and sailors, led active lives in the 1950s and 1980s, enjoying activities like tennis and running during lunch. However, a serious health threat lay hidden beneath their feet: a plume of trichlorethylene (TCE) had contaminated the groundwater. TCE, a fast-evaporating solvent used widely across the United States, had various applications on base, from machinery maintenance to dry cleaning uniforms. Initially considered safe, TCE’s longer-term effects became evident over approximately 35 years, as those living at Lejeune unknowingly ingested TCE through contaminated tap water.
Despite growing evidence linking TCE to serious health issues, the Navy, which administrates the Marine Corps, initially denied the contamination’s existence and dismissed its health impacts. As time passed, veterans began experiencing notably higher incidences of various cancers: Marines stationed at Lejeune had a 35 percent increased risk of kidney cancer, a 47 percent increased risk of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and a 68 percent increased risk of multiple myeloma. The local cemetery’s section for infants had to be extended, indicating a disturbing trend.
Throughout the late 1980s, Dr. Langston worked to establish the California Parkinson’s Foundation, later known as the Parkinson’s Institute, with the aim of uncovering the disease’s causes. The institute’s researchers produced the first animal model for Parkinson’s, identified the pesticide Paraquat as akin to MPTP, and found that farm workers using Paraquat developed the disease at significantly higher rates. Their work also showed that identical twins had similar Parkinson’s rates as fraternal twins, countering the notion that genetics alone dictated disease prevalence. TCE was also marked by the team as a potential contributor to Parkinson’s.
Significant findings emerged when Dr. Goldman compared populations, revealing that Marines exposed to TCE were 70 percent more likely to develop Parkinson’s than their counterparts stationed at Camp Pendleton.
Complicating matters, the launch of the Human Genome Project in 1990 heralded a new focus in medical research. With the aim of mapping all human genes, the initiative was lauded as a breakthrough comparable to the moon landing. By its completion in 2000, expectations soared that this genetic roadmap would revolutionize disease diagnosis and treatment, as emphasized by former president Bill Clinton.
However, the focus on genetics overshadowed environmental health research. As noted by Langston’s colleague, Sam Goldman, research funding shifted dramatically towards genetics, sidelining epidemiological studies. “It’s just a lot sexier than epidemiology,” Goldman remarked, highlighting how funding and training corridors in science began to prioritize genetic exploration over environmental impacts. Another researcher likened the situation to children playing soccer, following the ball without consideration for more critical issues; in this case, environmental health was neglected in favor of the allure of genetic discoveries. “Donors want a cure. And they want it now,” Langston concluded.
