What You Need To Know About Paraquat And Parkinsons Disease
Dozens of countries around the world have banned the use of paraquat, a weed killer so toxic that ingesting a single sip can be deadly, according to The New York Times.
In the United States, paraquat use isnt just legalits on the rise. The total amount of paraquat usage in the U.S. doubled between 2006 and 2016, the National Water-Quality Assessment Project reported.
That increase in usage translates to an increase in exposure to paraquat and to the harms linked to the toxic chemical. Numerous research studies have shown that, besides posing a risk of potentially deadly paraquat poisoning, the herbicide can increase your risk of developing Parkinsons disease.
The paraquat manufacturers named in lawsuits so far include Syngenta, Growmark, and Chevron U.S.A, Inc.
Is Paraquat in Roundup?
No, paraquat is not the active ingredient found in Roundup. While the herbicide Roundup has also been the subject of lawsuitsmore than 125,000 of themin recent years, the active ingredients and the specific health risks associated with these chemicals are different.
The makers of herbicides containing paraquat are facing lawsuits over the link between the toxic chemical and Parkinsons Disease. Monsanto, the company that first made Roundup, and Bayer, the parent company that now owns Monsanto, are facing lawsuits over evidence of a link between cancer and the active ingredient in Roundup.
Paraquat Lawsuits: How The Ferraro Law Firm Can Help
If you have been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease after exposure to Paraquat, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit against makers of Paraquat-containing herbicides, including Syngenta and Chevron Phillips Chemical Co.
These lawsuits typically allege that manufacturers failed to:
- Adequately research the potential link between Paraquat and Parkinsons disease.
- Warn consumers about the Parkinsons risks associated with Paraquat exposure.
- Ensure that workers received adequate protection against the potential side effects of Paraquat.
- Consider the long-term impact of health outcomes for those battling cancer.
Additionally, paraquat lawsuits allege that manufacturers:
- Misrepresented the safety of Paraquat for decades.
- Negligently disregarded the potential health risks associated with Paraquat.
To learn more about how The Ferraro Law Firm has obtained justice against major chemical corporations, check out Project Blindsided, which examines Attorney James Ferraros $4 million verdict against DuPont.
How Is Paraquat Used
Licensed Paraquat applicators apply the weedkiller directly to plants as a spray that kills the leaves with direct contact. The compound is inactivated when it makes contact with soil. Although commonly used to kill weeds and grass, Paraquat can also be sprayed on other crops. Examples include:
The pesticide is sprayed as a mechanism for clearing fields before crops are planted, as well as for the purpose of destroying marijuana crops in Mexico and the U.S. According to the Unified Parkinson’s Advisory Council, Paraquat is also used as an herbicide for weeds that have developed a resistance to Roundup and other glyphosate-based herbicides.
With $640 million in global sales reported in 2011, the use of Paraquat has recently been experiencing a sales increase as a result of the rise in high-profile Roundup lawsuits, as well as an increase in the number of glyphosate-resistant weeds.
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Paraquat Exposure Alert: Paraquat Linked To Parkinsons Diseaseagricultural Workers Could Be Entitled To Compensation
Agricultural workers who were exposed to the herbicide paraquat and have been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease may have a claim for financial compensation.
With lawsuits against paraquat manufacturers already filed in multiple states, attorneys are now investigating paraquat lawsuit cases at no charge.
A paraquat toxic exposure lawsuit may be your only chance to receive the compensation you need to cover the costs of treating Parkinsons disease.
How Do We Know That Paraquat Can Increase The Risk Of Developing Parkinsons Disease
Extensive scientific research over the last twenty years has demonstrated a link between Parkinsons disease and people who were exposed to Paraquat. In fact, Paraquat use has long been restricted to certified applicators due to concerns based on this research.
In the last ten years, research on Parkinsons disease has intensified, with two particularly convincing studies involving humans: one by the National Institutes of Health , and one Italian meta-analysis. Both studies provide persuasive evidence for an increased risk of Parkinsons Disease in farmers and in people who live near where Paraquat is used.
Freya Kamel, a scientist within an epidemiology branch of the NIH, has said that research on the link between paraquat and Parkinsons disease is about as persuasive as these things can get.
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How Can You Be Exposed To Paraquat
You can encounter paraquat hazards in one of the following ways:
- Inhalation: Paraquat exposure is dangerous. Inhaling hazardous herbicides can damage the lungs. Inhalation occurs when you breathe in the aerosolized chemical or smoke a plant tainted with paraquat. Traces of paraquat have been found in marijuana in the US.
- Eating or Drinking: The toxic herbicide easily mixes into drinks and foods, making consumption through ingestion or drinking deadly. A strong odor, dye, and vomiting agents are added to paraquat in the US to minimize the risk of exposure through accidental ingestion.
- Skin Contact: If paraquat comes into direct contact with skin, it can cause harm, especially if the paraquat exposure has been ongoing for a long time. Moreover, the effect of exposure to paraquat is higher if there’s a rash or open wound upon contact.
Paraquat Can Kill Instantly
One study on the paraquat link to Parkinson’s found that 3 of 544 cases of Parkinson’s disease were associated with paraquat inhalation. All three sufferers had a history of contact with the herbicide before their diagnosis.
Unlike other herbicides, this weed and grass killer can kill a subject instantly when swallowed or cause Parkinson’s disease through long-term exposure.
Over time, slowed mobility and stiffness develop in the patient. Parkinson’s disease gradually progresses since it has five stages. The earlier stages are less noticeable, but the victim’s quality of life and mobility suffer as they go to the later stages.
Here are some motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease patients experience:
- Change in speech patterns and general speech
- Hunching forward
- Frequent shaking and tremors in hands
- Notably slow mobility
A 2018 study found that farmworkers using hazardous Paraquat were 2.5 times more likely to suffer serious health problems and develop Parkinson’s disease.
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Chemical Properties And Distribution
PQ is a member of a chemical class known as bipyridyl derivatives, which includes diquat and cyperquat that has the same structure as the MPTP metabolite MPP+ . One-electron reduction of PQ, , , probably underlies its toxic effects in the lung after accidental ingestion. Reduced PQ is then rapidly re-oxidized to its cation form by molecular oxygen with the formation of superoxide radicals in a classical redox-cycling reaction.
Because PQ is highly polar, it is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Over 50% of a single dose administered to rats localizes to the gut at some 32h after administration and only approximately 5 to 10% of an ingested dose is absorbed, although the presence of emulsifiers and/or co-solvents may enhance absorption. Excretion occurs in urine and faeces with approximately 45% of a single dose being excreted after 48h in rats. Because of these properties and some early evidence that PQ is largely excluded from the brain, it has been assumed that PQ would not cross the blood-brain barrier to a significant extent. After a single administration, most of the PQ that reaches the brain is apparently associated with structures outside the BBB or with three areas of the brain: the anterior portion of the olfactory bulb, the hypothalamus and the area postrema, which do not have a tight BBB.
What Can I Do If I Have Parkinsons And Have Been Exposed To Paraquat
If you have been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease and you were exposed to Paraquat in the past, you may be able to file a Paraquat Parkinsons disease lawsuit against the manufacturer of Paraquat. For more than a decade, research has shown a link between Paraquat exposure and Parkinsons disease.
The Ferraro Law Firm is no stranger to standing up to the largest corporations in the country, including chemical giants like DuPont. Schedule a free legal consultation with our paraquat lawyers to learn more.
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Rise In Paraquat Lawsuits
While the use of paraquat on American crops increases, so too does the probability of more and more farmworkers getting sick and developing diseases. Parkinsons disease is especially difficult and costly to treat, extremely debilitating, and there is no known cure.
The sad reality is that the United States lags behind other agricultural nations in banning and eliminating the use of harmful pesticides and herbicides. Beyond paraquat, the well-known weed killer RoundUp®, which contains the active ingredient glyphosate, is another prominent herbicide that is widely used in the United States in spite of its link to non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
The health dangers associated with herbicides like paraquat are incredibly well-documented. Ideally, this alone would be enough of an incentive for dangerous chemicals to be banned and safer alternatives to be developed.
However, the companies that deploy paraquat across their crops continue to do so at an alarming rate prioritizing profits over the health of their employees and others living nearby who may also be harmed.
Its for reasons like this that injured individuals and their families are fighting back and the best way to hold such companies accountable is by filing a paraquat lawsuit.
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with Parkinsons after potentially being exposed to paraquat, contact Sokolove Law today for a free legal case review.
Have You Been Exposed To Paraquat
If you have developed Parkinsons disease, or symptoms, due to paraquat exposure, you likely have grounds to file suit against the paraquat manufacturers who harmed you including:
- Syngenta Group
- Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, LLC
- Drexel Chemical Company
- HELM Agro US, Inc.
According to the National Law Review, the first of these lawsuits was filed in October 2017 in Illinois. Our legal team at Wilson Law, P.A. is proud to announce that we are accepting cases in North Carolina and will file paraquat lawsuits for residents suffering catastrophic injury due to toxic exposure. There are several different herbicides throughout the nation that contain paraquat, the most common of which is Syngentas Gramoxone SL 2.0 Herbicide. Para-SHOT, Helmquat, and Devour are other common weed killers in which paraquat is an active ingredient.
To learn more, please visit our paraquat litigation page here.
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What Is The Paraquat Settlement
Were you or a close relative exposed to this highly toxic substance? If so, you can file a paraquat lawsuit against the company to get compensation for lost wages and medical bills. The process is called a paraquat lawsuit settlement.
For instance, Syngenta is a company that makes hazardous chemicals and is being held liable in many paraquat lawsuits.
The paraquat lawyers hold the company accountable because it:
- Should have known due to extensive testing before product release or knew about the toxic effects of Paraquat exposure and its link with Parkinson’s
- Failed to warn the chemical users about the health consequences of the herbicide use
- Failed to protect users from paraquat exposure by taking responsible steps
Work Exposure To Paraquat Not Associated With Increased Risk Of Parkinson Disease Mortality
Occupational exposure to the herbicide paraquat was not found to be associated with a greater risk of Parkinson disease or increased risk of mortality related to other causes.
Amid ongoing legal proceedings examining paraquat exposure with risk of Parkinson disease , a recent study published in the Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology indicates that the herbicide has no association with increased risk of PD or death from any cause.
With research over the past 35 years having evaluated environmental factors, including rural living, well-water consumption, farming, and pesticide exposure with risk of PD, researchers highlight that notable interest has focused on the quaternary ammonium herbicide PQ due to its structural similarity with a toxin, called 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine , that has been shown to cause permanent parkinsonism in humans.
Many experimental animal and in vitro studies of PQ have been performed looking for effects, such as deficits in dopaminergic neurons, but there remain many challenges in interpreting the relevance of these studies to humans, said the study authors.
Conducting an extended follow-up of 7.5 years, health data of 926 male and 42 female workers derived from the UK National Health Service digital database were included in the retrospective cohort analysis. Mortality rates for males were compared with national and local rates, including rates for PD as a mentioned cause of death.
Reference
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Who Is At Risk Of Exposure
Workers who used commercial herbicides or entered agricultural fields after applying the herbicide and bystanders exposed to spray drift may have suffered injuries due to exposure. The most common injury associated with these commercial herbicides is Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating nervous system disorder that affects as many as 60,000 people in the United States annually.
Those Exposed To Paraquat
Since Paraquat is a restricted herbicide, most people who come in contact with it work in agriculture or live in rural communities.
Some people are at risk of occupational exposure. It is also possible for some who live near a farm or facility that frequently uses herbicides to be at risk. Those most likely to have been exposed to Paraquat include:
- Individuals living around farming communities
If you have recently been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease and you work or live near farms that regularly spray pesticides and herbicides, contact The Ferraro Law Firm. Our legal team can review your case for free and help identify if you may have been exposed to Paraquat, and if so, help you seek justice against the manufacturers.
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Paraquat Lawsuits And Claims
Paraquat is a chemical so toxic it has been banned in nearly three dozen countries, including the entire European Union. So why hasnt the United States banned it?
Known for its links to Parkinsons Disease, Paraquat is lethal in some cases when exposure occurs through its application as a commercial herbicide.
Ever lived near a farm? Still, living there? If that farm uses Paraquat, contact can occur through the air, through the skin, and by ingesting it. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said swallowing or inhaling just 2.5 grams of the poisonous weed killer can be fatal.
It isnt easy to understand why the U.S. still allows Paraquat to be used. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider the chemical significantly more toxic than other available herbicides. However, Paraquat manufacturers still report annual profits in the billions of dollars, and use in the U.S. has continued to grow.
Paraquat also recognizable under Gramoxone and Ortho Paraquat brand has well-documented links to Parkinsons. According to the National Institute on Aging, the disease occurs with the death of nerve cells in the brain that control movement. Tremors, stiffness, difficulty walking, and balance, and coordination issues arise as the disease progresses.
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Who Is At Risk Of Parkinsons Disease From Exposure To Paraquat
Research indicates that low-level chronic exposure to paraquat significantly increases the risk of Parkinsons disease, which makes the farm workers and applicators who sprayed the herbicide on fields the most vulnerable populations. Also anyone who mixed the product and the flag men who signaled for the planes applying the weed killer were also potentially exposed.
However, families living near the farms may also be at risk since people can be exposed to paraquat through the air, and the herbicide can transfer to clothing and rub off on furniture. And there is strong scientific evidence that indicates that individuals exposed to the herbicide in their teens and young adult years had more than a twofold risk of developing Parkinsons.
If you have Parkinsons disease and believe that it developed due to your exposure to paraquat, call us immediately at for a free and confidential case evaluation.
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We Can Help You Pursue A Paraquat Lawsuit
Every company has a legal responsibility to ensure its products are safe, but sometimes that doesn’t happen and other people suffer the consequences.
To make matters worse, anyone who tries to recover appropriate compensation for their damages will likely be confronted with a team of lawyers that will do everything in their power to protect the company’s bottom line, even if it comes at the expense of the victim.
At Tracey Fox King & Walters, our highly skilled personal injury attorneys consistently rise to the challenge whenever a client comes to us with a complex legal matter, including cases that involve defective or inherently dangerous products.
Make no mistake, there is no case too complicated and no company too big for us to handle.
Whether it’s through a negotiated settlement or by way of a successful court judgment, our dedicated legal team will help you seek justice and fight for the compensation you deserve.
If you or someone you love developed Parkinson’s disease after being exposed to paraquat, you may be able to pursue a lawsuit.
To learn more about your legal rights and options, contact us today for a free case evaluation. We have three Texas locations in Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio and would be honored to speak with you about your potential legal case.
Does Paraquat Cause Parkinsons Disease
The same properties that make paraquat toxic to plants and animals are what cause Parkinsons disease in humans, according to studies cited in lawsuits.
Scientists think Parkinsons disease is caused by the death of neurons that produce dopamine in the brain.
Studies have shown paraquat creates oxidative stress that kills dopamine-producing neurons. The scientific community has known about paraquats oxidative stress qualities since the 1960s, according to lawsuits.
According to a 2020 study by Fegnyu Ming and colleagues published in BioMed Research International, paraquat crosses the blood-brain barrier where it affects neurons.
Study results suggest paraquat may kill cells in healthy people and people with Parkinsons disease. Authors wrote that epidemiological research shows paraquat exposure strongly increases the risk of Parkinsons disease in humans.
In Parkinsons disease experiments, scientists use pesticides including paraquat and benomyl to induce Parkinsons disease in nonhuman and human primates, according to a 2020 article in Neurology India.
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