From Organic Month to Parkinson’s National Day of Action
The Urgent Call to Ban Paraquat

To protect farmworkers and communities across the US from Parkinson’s disease, the EPA must ban the use of paraquat, a highly toxic and widely used herbicide that is banned in 58 countries –– but not the US.

Today, on Parkinson’s National Day of Action, and throughout September’s Organic Month, we face a critical opportunity to address a pressing health crisis. Paraquat, a highly toxic herbicide linked to Parkinson’s disease, continues to pose a significant threat in the United States—despite being banned in 58 countries.

The Connection Between Paraquat and Parkinson’s Disease

Numerous studies reveal a disturbing reality: high exposure to paraquat, particularly among farmworkers and rural communities, dramatically increases the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. The evidence is clear, and the stakes are high.

A 2024 study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology shows living or working near the heaviest applications of paraquat is associated with a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement. 

This knowledge is nothing new. Another study from back in 2011 using data from the National Institutes of Health found that workers exposed to paraquat had a 250% greater risk of getting Parkinson’s disease than people not exposed to the chemical. A meta-analysis of 13 studies published in 2019 found a 64 percent increase in the likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease from paraquat exposure.

The LA Times reported in 2023 that “an estimated 1 million people in the US are living with Parkinson’s disease, which has no known cure,” and that “California is home to a high incidence of cases, with large clusters found in agricultural regions where herbicides are heavily used.”

The use of Paraquat is an environmental justice issue

Farmers, farmworkers and rural communities are at risk, raising environmental justice concerns. Findings from researchers at UCLA show paraquat sprayed within 500 meters, or about 1,640 feet, of where people lived and worked could more than double a person’s odds of developing Parkinson’s. In many cities, a standard city block is about 300 to 400 feet long. So, 1,640 feet is equivalent to about 4 to 5 city blocks in length, or 4.5 football fields, which is quite a wide radius of acute harm. Studies have also shown that Latinos in California are more likely to be exposed to higher amounts of paraquat.

Paraquat causes “super-weeds”

In addition to causing debilitating life-altering diseases in people, Paraquat-resistant weeds are growing. Pesticide and herbicide-resistant weeds or “super-weeds” are growing and spreading across much of America’s lands, meaning Paraquat is becoming less and less useful. 

Safer alternatives and solutions to Paraquat

Luckily, safer alternatives exist! 

Read ASBN’s Business Case for Safer Alternatives to Pesticides and Fertilizers and visit https://banparaquat.org/ to add your voice to the growing movement to ban this dangerous and unnecessary herbicide.