Paraquat, A Popular Weed Killer, Puts Farmers At Risk

Farmers, agricultural workers and groundskeepers who developed Parkinson’s disease after using the weed killer Paraquat might be eligible for compensation. A growing number of Paraquat lawsuits implicating the toxic weed killer for causing Parkinson’s Disease have been filed throughout the country.

RPWB’s toxic exposure attorneys are reviewing cases of patients who developed Parkinson’s disease after exposure to herbicides containing Paraquat. Common products containing the chemical include: Gramoxone, Ortho-Paraquat, Para-SHOT, Parazone, Quick-Quat, Firestorm and Helmqua. Patients with Parkinson’s disease who had repeated exposure to Paraquat should consult with an experienced toxic exposure attorney without delay to see if their case can be included in national litigation against the manufacturers.

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The Link between Paraquat and Parkinson’s Disease

A growing body of science points to Paraquat as a cause of Parkinson’s disease.

In his recent book, Dr. Bastiaan Bloem, a prominent neurologist who has published more than 700 scientific papers and chapters on Parkinson’s Disease, points to the tight link between exposure to herbicides such as paraquat — a weed killer — and the risk of developing Parkinson’s.

“These chemicals were introduced worldwide after World War II, and many are still used today on our fields,” he said. “For this reason, farmers are at a markedly increased risk of developing Parkinson’s. If you feed a mouse paraquat — which is banned in China but not the U.S. — it will kill the dopamine-producing cells in the brain. These chemicals are tremendously toxic to the brain and have even been detected in milk, in supermarkets.”

A recent study, published in the journal Toxicological Sciences in December 2020, confirmed that inhaling Paraquat gives it a direct pathway to the brain, where other studies have shown that it can impair dopamine receptors. Parkinson’s disease occurs when nerve cells in an area of the brain that controls movement become impaired or die. Normally, these neurons produce dopamine. When the neurons die or become impaired, they produce less dopamine, which causes the movement problems of Parkinson’s.

Common symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease include shaking or tremors, stiffness and difficulty with walking, balance and coordination. As the disease progresses, it can affect a person’s ability to talk and chew food. It can be associated with memory loss and other behavioral issues.

In 2020, the EPA released new guidelines about the application of Paraquat seeking to reduce human exposure to the chemical, which is known to be toxic.

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Who is at risk?

The use of Paraquat in the United States began in 1964, and continues to this day despite other governments such as China and the Europeon Union already banning it. It is typically used in agricultural settings, but also is used on golf courses and in grounds maintenance at large facilities such as schools, parks, factories and other industrial sites. The people most impacted are those who mixed the chemicals or inhaled them during or just after application. This includes:

• Farmers
• Ranchers
• Farm-workers
• Aerial applicators
• Groundskeepers
• Landscapers
• Maintenance workers

Paraquat is used for weed control in many types of farming, including wide use by corn, soybean, tobacco and cotton farmers.

In October 2020, the EPA proposed new guidelines that would limit the use of Paraquat weed killers, including a prohibition of aerial application (except for cotton desiccation), requiring enclosed cabs and respirators, and creating a longer re-entry waiting period.

RPWB has a Strong Record with Toxic Exposure Cases

Attorneys at RPWB have been helping people harmed by dangerous products for more than 40 years. This includes asbestos victims, and more recently, those who developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma from using another popular weed killer, Roundup. We are in the leadership of national litigation against 3M for producing a toxic fire-fighting foam that is contaminating water systems throughout the United States. We have experience helping farmers as well. We recently helped corn farmers get compensation for financial losses they incurred when corn prices plummeted following China’s rejection of Syngenta GMO corn.

RPWB is a U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm. Fifteen of our attorneys appear on the Best Lawyers in America List, and six are listed on Super Lawyers.

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