A pesticide used on common crops that has previously been linked to Parkinson’s disease and organ damage will be banned in a US state in a national first.
In Vermont, Gov Phil Scott signed the ban into law, which will prohibit the use or sale of paraquat statewide from November 1.
Fruit farmers can apply for an exemption to the ban, but will also need to stop using the pesticide, sprayed on fruit and potato crops among others, by the end of 2030.
Signing the bill Tuesday, Scott said: ‘Today, I signed H.739, which phases out the use of the harmful herbicide paraquat over the coming years. I … hope this can serve as a model for other states to follow.’
Paraquat is widely used in the US as a pesticide to kill weeds and grasses, and is applied to a wide variety of crops, also including grapes, soy, peanuts and pistachios.
Shown to have toxic health effects, there are strict regulations on its use in the US.
Experts raise concerns over the impact of long-term exposure to paraquat among farmworkers and people living near treated farms. There are also some concerns over the effects of repeated exposure to trace residues that may be on store-bought food, although this is considered to be a less significant risk.
Many studies have linked the pesticide to a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative condition that gradually robs sufferers of their lives, organ failure and cancers, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma and childhood leukemia.
Vermont has become the first US state to ban the use of the pesticide paraquat. The above image shows an individual spraying pesticides onto fruit trees (stock image)
Although banned in 70 countries and in Europe, where officials outlawed its use in 2007, it remains one of the most widely used pesticides in the US.
‘The evidence linking paraquat exposure to increased Parkinson’s risk is strong and has been building for decades,’ said Dan Feehan, chief policy expert for the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which worked to get the pesticide banned in the state.
‘Other states should follow Vermont’s lead – and the federal government has an obligation to protect all Americans with a national paraquat ban.’
Under the ban, the use or sale of paraquat will be banned across the state of Vermont at the start of November this year.
Farmers who tend fruit-producing tree orchards, berries and ‘small fruit’ crops are able to apply for an exemption, which will be in place until the end of 2030.
To obtain this, however, they will need to demonstrate that no other pesticide would be effective to address weed growth typically treated with paraquat and show they had taken measures to prevent the pesticide from spreading from their property.
The bill also calls for annual data to be reported on the use of paraquat in the state, and a state-funded study to recommend alternatives for farmers.
Some lawmakers are reported to have expressed concerns that the ban would harm the competitiveness of Vermont farmers.
Paraquat is one of the most widely used pesticides in the US, despite its links to Parkinson’s disease, according to some studies (stock image)
But others said that a ban was needed as scientific research has already established a potential link to diseases, and that the risks of continuing to use the pesticide now outweigh the benefits.
State Representative Michelle Bos-Lun said in a House committee hearing on the bill: ‘There are so many factors that are pointing to the correlation… between paraquat use and Parkinson’s.
‘We have to do something to phase this out. Our job is to support farmers and to support all Vermonters. My belief is that paraquat is causing harm to both.’
She added: ‘If there is a chance we could reduce the harm by making this step, it feels like that is a responsible thing to do.’
Paraquat has been in use in the US since 1964, and about 11 to 17 million pounds of the pesticide are sprayed nationwide annually.
But concerns have continued to mount over its health effects since the 1980s, when studies first emerged raising concerns about its use.
According to the Michael J Fox Foundation, farm workers who apply paraquat to weeds in crop fields and orchards are more than twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s than those who do not.
People who work or live near farms where paraquat is sprayed may also face a higher risk, the foundation adds.
Vermont is the first state in the US to bring in the ban. Activists have called for other states to follow suit (stock image)
Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, signed the bill into law Tuesday. He is pictured above in June last year speaking during an event with Canadian officials that discussed trade tariffs
A study published earlier this month warned that because fruits, vegetables and whole grains are often treated with toxic pesticides, including paraquat, people who eat more of these foods may raise the risk of suffering from lung cancer.
Experts say paraquat raises Parkinson’s risk because it can trigger inflammation in the brain and damage neurons. It can also damage the DNA in cells, raising the risk that they may turn cancerous, or start to divide uncontrollably.
Thousands of people in the US have sued Syngenta, which makes Gramoxone, the brand name for paraquat, over the potential health risks. Those cases are now part of a multi-district litigation in the Southern District of Illinois.
Syngenta said in March that it would stop making its pesticide by the end of June, but added that it was safe to use.
‘Syngenta affirms that paraquat is safe when used in line with registered label instructions,’ the company said in its press release.
In January this year, the EPA announced that it would reassess the safety of paraquat, adding that manufacturers were being required to thoroughly prove that it was safe.
The agency’s administrator, Lee Zeldin, said at the time: ‘The Trump EPA has made the important, proactive decision to freshly reassess the safety of paraquat.
‘When new science raises questions, the Trump EPA will not look the other way. We will demand the best and most accurate data, and we are prepared to act on what that data shows.’
Experts tell people to wash their fresh fruit and vegetables thoroughly with water before consumption to remove pesticides – including paraquat.
They say there is no need to use anything other than water, saying that there is limited evidence that soaps or special rinses remove these residues.
While this improves fruit and veg, they warn that it will not remove all of the pesticide that may be present.