Syngenta says it will stop making pesticide linked to Parkinson’s disease | Herbicides
Syngenta, the maker of a controversial pesticide linked to Parkinson’s disease, said Tuesday it will stop producing the paraquat weed killer by the end of June.
announcement The company faces thousands of lawsuits in the United States from people who claim they developed Parkinson’s disease from exposure to Syngenta’s paraquat products.
The company did not mention the lawsuit when making the announcement and did not respond to a request for comment.
The company’s announcement cited “significant competition” from generic paraquat manufacturers and their contribution of “less than 1 percent” to the company’s global sales as reasons for exiting the paraquat business.
“This decision is about focusing our resources where they will deliver the greatest value for our business and customers,” Mike Hollands, president of Syngenta UK and Syngenta’s global head of manufacturing and supply, said in a statement.
The company said it “confirmed that paraquat is safe when used in accordance with registered label directions” and that paraquat remains “highly effective in controlling weeds.”
Michael Okun, Chair of Neurology at the University of Florida, who called for Paraquat to be banned, described the news as “a turning point for public health.”
“We’ve been warning for decades that some pesticides increase the risk of Parkinson’s and other serious diseases. This moment proves that advocacy, data and courage can change the course of the disease,” Okun said.
Paraquat has been used in the United States since 1964 as a means to kill broadleaf weeds and grasses. Syngenta’s paraquat-based Gramoxone brand of herbicide has remained popular with U.S. farmers for use in growing soybeans, cotton and corn, as well as grapes, pistachios, peanuts and many other crops, despite being banned in many countries, including Europe.
Syngenta has always maintained that the evidence linking paraquat to Parkinson’s disease is valid. “fragmentary” and “inconclusive”. Lots of scientific studies They found that paraquat damages cells in the brain in ways that can lead to Parkinson’s disease, and more than 8,000 lawsuits are pending in U.S. courts over Parkinson’s claims. The company, which maintains that Paraquat does not cause Parkinson’s disease, has settled many cases before they went to trial and is negotiating to settle a large portion of ongoing cases.
New Lede, together with Guardian, obtained and revealed Many of Syngenta’s internal corporate filings show that Syngenta was not only aware of studies linking paraquat to Parkinson’s disease decades ago, but also secretly sought to influence scientific knowledge and public opinion about those links.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency previously said it had found “insufficient” evidence linking paraquat to Parkinson’s disease but wanted to evaluate the new data before making a final regulatory decision on the pesticide.
Lawmakers in many states have introduced bills that would ban paraquat, and many federal lawmakers have also called for banning the chemical.
“If this is true, fewer people will develop Parkinson’s disease in the future,” he said Ray Dorsey, is a neurologist and director of the Atria Research Institute’s Center for Brain and Environment, a nonprofit research initiative investigating environmental causes of brain diseases.
“This also means that the voices of the Parkinson’s community, the voices of those highlighting the toxic effects of this weed killer, are being heard and making an impact,” he said.
Nathan Donley, director of environmental health science at the Center for Biological Diversity, noted that although Syngenta has long been known as the primary supplier of paraquat in the United States, other companies offer generic versions of paraquat.
“Syngenta getting out of the paraquat business is great news, but it’s also a reminder that as long as this poison is approved at our borders, small companies will easily fill the gap,” Donley said.
This story is published alongside: New LedeA journalism project of the Environmental Working Group
