Published by Table Of Contents
- A Brief History of Paraquat
- Is Paraquat Banned in the United States?
- Which Products Contain Paraquat?
- What Does Paraquat Do to Plants?
- Does Roundup Contain Paraquat?
- How Long Does Paraquat Stay in the Soil?
- Who are the Defendants in the Paraquat Litigation?
- Get a Free Lawsuit Evaluation With Our Attorneys
A Brief History of Paraquat
Paraquat, the active ingredient in Gramoxone and many other herbicides was first approved for commercial purposes in 1961 and has been widely used ever since.
Various manufacturers have held the rights to paraquat over the years, and the product has been sold numerous times. When AstraZeneca and Novartis merged in 2000, one of the merger conditions was that the companies divest the agricultural division. Prior to that, Paraquat was sold by AstraZeneca. After the merger, Syngenta was formed.
Syngenta is currently owned by ChemChina, which paid $43 billion for the company in 2015. As a result, ChemChina assumed all liabilities and legal responsibility for Paraquat exposure.
Is Paraquat Banned in the United States?
Despite it being banned in Europe and many other parts of the world, Paraquat is still widely used as a liquid in various strengths in the U.S. The EPA classifies paraquat as “restricted use,” which means that the herbicide can be used only by people who are licensed applicators.
Which Products Contain Paraquat?
- Gramoxone
- Parazone
- Quick-Quat
- Para-Shot 3.0
- Helmquat 3SL
- Cyclone SL 2.0
- Firestorm
- AH 501
- Crisquat
- Gramuron
- Dexuron
- Para-col
- Devour
- Bonedry
- Blanco
- Dexuron
- Esgram
- Ortho Paraquat CL
- Tota-col
- Toxer total
- PP148
- Gramixel
- Pillarxone
- AH 501
- Bai Cao Ku
- And more
See all related toxic tort cases our attorneys have covered.
What Does Paraquat Do to Plants?
Paraquat works as a weed killer by inhibiting photosynthesis. In light-exposed plants, it accepts electrons from photosystem I and transfers them to molecular oxygen. In this manner, destructive reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced.
Does Roundup Contain Paraquat?
No, Monsanto Roundup does not contain paraquat. The active ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate, which has been linked to cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Experts have linked paraquat exposure to Parkinson’s disease and other serious side effects.
How Long Does Paraquat Stay in the Soil?
According to Alexander (1999), paraquat is completely degraded by soil microorganisms within 6 years into ammonia, carbon dioxide, and water.
Who are the Defendants in the Paraquat Litigation?
The two main defendants in the current paraquat lawsuits are Syngenta and Chevron, Inc. One of the biggest suits is a multidistrict litigation (MDL) against Gramoxone, a brand name of paraquat created by Syngenta and distributed in the U.S. by Chevron.
Get a Free Lawsuit Evaluation With Our Attorneys
The Pharmaceutical Litigation Group at Schmidt & Clark, LLP law firms is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in federal lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new Parkinson’s disease cases in all 50 states.
If you or a loved one developed Parkinson’s disease or other serious side effects after being exposed to Paraquat herbicide, you should contact a lawyer immediately. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a suit and a lawyer can help.
To contact us for a free review of your potential case, please fill out the form below or call us toll free 24 hrs/day by dialing: