New Study Finds Residential Paraquat Exposure from Agricultural Use May Cause Thyroid Cancer

The controversial weed killer paraquat has been under scrutiny recently because of its link to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease in exposed individuals. However, new research examining residential exposure to paraquat from agricultural use cautions that the herbicide may also cause thyroid cancer. If you or someone you love has been exposed to paraquat and developed Parkinson’s disease, thyroid cancer, or another serious health problem, you may have grounds to file a claim for compensation. Contact Robert Brown Law as soon as possible to discuss your legal options with our experienced paraquat injury attorneys.

Serious Adverse Health Effects of Paraquat Exposure

Paraquat (paraquat dichloride), a toxic chemical widely used as an herbicide for weed and grass control, is only available in the United States for commercial use. That means the greatest health threat from paraquat exposure is to farmers and agricultural workers. However, people who live nearby areas where paraquat is sprayed on farmland, crops, and orchards may also be at risk for adverse health consequences as a result of paraquat drift. This new study confirms that residential pesticide exposure from agricultural applications can cause potentially life-threatening illnesses, including thyroid cancer.

This new study confirms that residential pesticide exposure from agricultural applications can cause potentially life-threatening illnesses, including thyroid cancer.

According to reports, thyroid cancer cases in the United States have steadily increased over the past 30 years, rising 3% annually. And while some experts point to better cancer screening and detection methods to explain the upward trend, others attribute it to lifestyle, genetic, and environmental risk factors. One major environmental risk factor for cancer is exposure to pesticides, many of which are known to cause DNA damage or endocrine disruption. And while farmers, agricultural workers, and other workers in the agricultural industry face the greatest risk of cancer and other health problems from pesticide exposure, this new study focuses on residential exposure to agricultural-use pesticides like paraquat.

The researchers involved the study, which was published last month in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, examined 29 agricultural-use pesticides that are known endocrine disruptors or are known to cause DNA damage in vitro. They found that 10 out of the 29 pesticides they reviewed were associated with thyroid cancer, including paraquat. “Our research suggests several novel associations between pesticide exposure and increased risk of thyroid cancer,” says co-author and lead investigator Dr. Avital Harari. “Specifically, exposure to the pesticide paraquat is positively associated with thyroid cancer risk.”

Pursuing Compensation for Alleged Paraquat Injuries

Thousands of farmers and agricultural workers in the U.S. have been exposed to paraquat and may now be at risk for Parkinson’s disease or other serious health problems. And based on this new pesticide research, people living in residential areas near where paraquat is sprayed may also face an increased risk of major illnesses, not the least of which is thyroid cancer. There are currently more than 1,700 paraquat injury claims pending in the federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) in Illinois, each involving claims that paraquat causes Parkinson’s disease and that manufacturers like Syngenta and Chevron failed to warn paraquat users about this risk. Earlier this year, the federal judge overseeing the paraquat MDL paved the way for hundreds of paraquat injury claims to move forward, denying Syngenta and Chevron’s motions to dismiss. To learn more about the ongoing paraquat litigation, contact our legal team at Robert Brown Law today.