US EPA will reassess safety of herbicide paraquat, says its chief

Jan 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will reassess the safety of herbicide paraquat, its administrator Lee Zeldin said on Friday on X, adding that the body is requiring manufacturers to thoroughly prove that current uses are safe in real-world conditions.

Syngenta, which markets paraquat under the brand name Gramoxone, is among the herbicide's major sellers.

The Swiss-based agricultural chemical company is facing several lawsuits in the U.S., where plaintiffs allege exposure to paraquat caused them to develop Parkinson's, a degenerative brain disease that leads to loss of muscle coordination.

It has previously said there was "no credible evidence" that paraquat causes Parkinson's.

In agricultural settings, paraquat is mostly applied to soybean, corn and cotton crop fields to control invasive weeds and grasses, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.