The story
Paraquat is banned in 32 countries, including the entire European Union. But in the United States, it's still legal. For decades, it's been one of the most widely used herbicides in American agriculture — sprayed on crops across the country by farmers and farmworkers.
Unlike Roundup, which you can buy at a hardware store, Paraquat is restricted to licensed applicators because of how incredibly toxic it is. Even a small swallow is often fatal. But you don't have to drink it to be harmed.
Breathing the spray, getting it on your skin, or living near fields where it's applied creates exposure that builds up over time. Multiple scientific studies have found that people with significant Paraquat exposure are two to three times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease — a progressive, incurable neurological condition. The manufacturers, Syngenta and Chevron, are accused of knowing about this link for decades and failing to warn the people using their product.