In an unprecedented move, a bipartisan group of over 50 US lawmakers is urgently calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban the controversial pesticide paraquat. The toxic weed killer has been strongly linked to the development of Parkinson’s disease and other grave health risks, yet it remains widely used on American farms.
Seven US senators, led by New Jersey’s Cory Booker, penned a letter to the EPA on October 31st asserting that paraquat’s “continued use cannot be justified” in light of the harm it poses to farmworkers and rural communities. This senatorial appeal came on the heels of a similar demand from 47 members of the House of Representatives earlier in the month.
Parkinson’s Risk Tops Concerns
The lawmakers’ letters highlight alarming scientific evidence connecting paraquat exposure to a 64% increase in the likelihood of developing Parkinson’s, a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder. Studies have also linked the herbicide to elevated rates of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, thyroid cancer, and other thyroid issues.
The risks of paraquat exposure are well documented. It is irresponsible for the EPA to continue to allow its use.
Senator Cory Booker, organizer of the Senate letter
Despite these documented dangers, the EPA has long maintained there is no “clear link” between paraquat and Parkinson’s. The agency does restrict the herbicide’s use due to its acute toxicity, but critics argue these measures fall far short of what’s needed to protect public health.
EPA Review Underway as Pressure Mounts
Faced with growing pressure from Congress and health advocates, the EPA says it is currently reviewing the latest scientific studies on paraquat. The agency plans to issue a final report on the chemical’s safety by January 17, 2025.
California, often a trailblazer in environmental regulations, recently took steps of its own to curtail paraquat use. The state passed a compromise measure last month requiring an expedited regulatory review of the controversial substance.
Syngenta’s Role Under Scrutiny
As the dominant manufacturer of paraquat products, Swiss agrochemical giant Syngenta finds itself at the center of the controversy. Internal company documents uncovered by journalists suggest Syngenta has long been aware of paraquat’s potential to impact the brain in ways that may trigger Parkinson’s.
Shockingly, the records indicate Syngenta may have actively worked to suppress research on paraquat’s health risks, allegedly with the aid of a “reputation management” firm called v-Fluence. The company currently faces a barrage of lawsuits from paraquat users diagnosed with Parkinson’s, who claim Syngenta failed to adequately warn of the risks.
Proposed Ban “Long Overdue”
For experts like Professor Ray Dorsey, a neurologist who studies Parkinson’s causes, the push to ban paraquat is “long overdue”. Dorsey contends the weed killer has been “helping fuel the rise of Parkinson’s disease” for 60 years.
The evidence from human, laboratory and apparently even the company’s own research is overwhelming. When paraquat is banned, more lives will be spared the consequences of Parkinson’s.
Professor Ray Dorsey, University of Rochester
As the EPA deliberates paraquat’s fate, all eyes are on the agency to see if it will align with the dozens of countries worldwide that have already banned this toxic substance. For the farmers, farmworkers, and rural residents whose health hangs in the balance, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
