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People who live near industrial facilities that pollute the water supply may be more likely to develop a rare movement disorder called progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), according to a study published in Neurology.

PSP is part of a group of neurodegenerative diseases known as atypical parkinsonism. PSP shares some symptoms with Parkinson's disease, but it usually progresses much faster and responds differently to treatment.

The study does not prove that proximity to facilities that emit water pollution causes progressive supranuclear palsy; it only shows an association.

"These results suggest that environmental water pollutants potentially play a role in the development of progressive supranuclear palsy," said study author Charlie Weige Zhao, M.D., of Harvard Medical School in Boston. "Further studies are needed to confirm these findings, but this is a step forward in understanding what raises a person's chance of getting PSP."

People who lived within about three miles (4.8 kilometers) of a facility that emitted pollutants including pesticides, other organic and inorganic pollutants and heavy metals were more likely to develop PSP than people who did not live as close to such facilities. The facilities included wastewater treatment plants, intensive aquaculture, chemical plants and thermal power stations.

For the study, researchers recruited more than 500,000 people from across the United Kingdom who were then followed for up to 25 years. During that time, 221 people developed PSP.

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