Swiss agtech company Syngenta is facing lawsuits in states across the U.S. for failing to warn consumers that one of the pesticides used in its products could cause the incurable neurological disorder known as Parkinson’s disease.
According to reporting from The Guardian based on company documents, the company’s scientists and executives have known for decades that the chemical paraquat, one of the most widely-sprayed herbicides in the U.S., might cause neurological damage but publicly minimized the risks.
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“When Syngenta’s own internal research showed adverse effects of paraquat on brain tissue, the company withheld that information from regulators while downplaying the validity of similar findings being reported by independent scientists,” The Guardian reported. “In addition, the records show company scientists were aware of evidence that exposure to paraquat could impair the central nervous system (CNS), triggering tremors and other symptoms in experimental animals similar to those suffered by people with Parkinson’s.”
