Rotenone is found in 680 compounds marketed as organic garden pesticides and flea powders, said Dr. Caroline Tanner, director of clinical research at the Parkinson's Institute. It is often sold as a white powder that is dusted onto roses, tomatoes, pears, apples and African violets, and even on household pets. It kills fire ants. Because rotenone is naturally occurring, it is advertised as being safer than synthetic pesticides, she said. In addition, unlike many artificial pesticides, which linger in the environment, rotenone breaks down in five to six days of spring sunlight or two to three days of summer sunlight.
Rotenone is also widely used in liquid form by fishery managers to destroy pest species.
The chemical is added to lakes and reservoirs, where it kills all the fish by inhibiting their ability to use oxygen. Once it has degraded, the water is restocked with the desired fish species. Parkinson's disease is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, affecting nearly one million Americans over the age of 50. The disease is caused by the steady loss of cells, in a tiny region of the brain called the substantia nigra, that produce a chemical, dopamine, which is crucial for movement and cognition. Patients develop jerky, tremulous movements that get worse with time.