Paraquat is a chemical herbicide used on over 100 different types of crops throughout the United States. It was first introduced commercially in 1961 and is used by farmers several times a year to control weeds where they plant multiple crops in a growing season or year.
It has been used as an alternative to Roundup, a long-preferred pesticide within the agricultural industry. However, Roundup has been linked to causing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The New York Times reports that over seven million pounds of Paraquat is being sprayed on almost 15 million acres in a year period.
A paraquat lawsuit was filed in October 2017 on behalf of farmers and other agricultural workers who were exposed to the herbicide and allegedly developed Parkinson’s disease. Plaintiffs claim that they were unaware of the serious health risks associated with the herbicide manufactured by Syngenta and Growmark.
Just like Roundup, Paraquat is widely used as an herbicide for weed and grass control, and is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the world. However, Roundup has been linked to causing cancer and is now facing lawsuits filed across the country.
Paraquat is a herbicide widely used for weed and grass control and is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the world. The extent of poisoning caused by paraquat depends on the amount, route, and duration of exposure and the person’s health condition at the time of the exposure. Paraquat causes direct damage when it comes into contact with the lining of the mouth, stomach, or intestines. Paraquat can cause toxic chemical reactions to occur throughout many parts of the body, primarily the lungs, liver, and kidneys.
