A major pesticide maker is walking away from a weed killer tied to Parkinson’s disease, The Guardian reported.
Syngenta announced it will stop producing its paraquat herbicide, sold under the Gramoxone brand name, before July. The chemical has been sprayed on U.S. farms since 1964 for weed and grass control around crops including corn, soybeans, cotton, grapes, and peanuts. The European Union and dozens of nations have already outlawed the chemical.
The company pointed to rival companies making cheaper copycat versions and said paraquat accounts for less than 1% of its worldwide revenue. Over 8,000 legal cases are active in U.S. courts by individuals who say paraquat exposure caused their Parkinson’s disease, according to the newspaper. Syngenta made no mention of the lawsuits when sharing its decision and said the herbicide poses no danger if users follow printed guidelines.
For Americans living with or at risk of Parkinson’s, this is welcome news. Multiple scientific papers have linked paraquat to brain cell damage associated with the disease.
If you live near farmland or work in agriculture, this move could mean less contact with a chemical that researchers have tied to brain disease. State and federal officials alike have pushed for bans on paraquat, and the Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing findings.
Advocacy groups have noted that off-brand formulations from other companies are still being sold, so the fight is not over yet.
“It also means that the voices of the Parkinson’s community, the voices of those who’ve been highlighting the toxic effects of this weed killer … are being heard and they’re having an impact,” Ray Dorsey, who directs the Atria Health and Research Institute’s Center for the Brain and the Environment as a practicing neurologist, told The Guardian.
Michael Okun, who heads the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at the University of Florida, described the announcement as a “public health milestone.”
“For decades we have warned that certain pesticides increase the risk of Parkinson’s and other serious diseases. This moment proves that advocacy, data, and courage can change the trajectory of disease,” Okun said.
Nathan Donley, environmental health science director with the Center for Biological Diversity, told the newspaper, “It’s great news that Syngenta is exiting the paraquat business, but it’s also a reminder that smaller companies will readily fill the void as long as this poison remains approved in our borders.”
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Agriculture giant announces halt to ‘poison’ product linked to Parkinson’s disease: ‘Voices … are being heard’ first appeared on The Cool Down.