The Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK) has today welcomed the decision by the UK Government to revoke all authorisations for products containing the toxic herbicide paraquat.

With immediate effect authorisation will be revoked for the advertisement, sale, supply, storage and use of all paraquat products. However, existing stock will still be able to be used and sold until 11th July 2008.

“This decision is very much welcomed and will lead to a complete phase out of paraquat use in the UK within 12 months”, said Nick Mole of PAN UK. “Paraquat is highly toxic to humans and has been linked to numerous deaths and severe poisonings; it has also been linked to Parkinson’s disease and irreversible lung damage. PAN has been campaigning for 25 years to get this harmful and unnecessary weed killer outlawed.” he continued.  

The decision by the UK Government follows the result of a court case brought by Sweden against the European Commission and the subsequent ruling handed down by the European Court of First Instance on 11th July 2007.[1]

Use of paraquat has been banned in 13 countries including Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Finland. Following the court decision Germany have also decided to suspend registration of paraquat containing pesticide products.

Whilst it is still possible for the European Commission to appeal the court decision it appears unlikely that such a move would meet with success given the decisions of the UK and Germany to unilaterally suspend or revoke authorisations for paraquat.

“We hope that the court ruling and the subsequent regulation changes in the UK and Germany will precipitate the complete demise of paraquat use in Europe and lead to similar responses in developing countries, where paraquat continues to poison and kill in many farming communities” added Stephanie Williamson, International Project Officer at PAN UK.

--ENDS--

For further information please contact:

Nick Mole, PAN UK, 00 44 (0) 20 7065 0905, nickmole@pan-uk.org
Stephanie Williamson, PAN UK, 00 44 (0) 20 7065 0905, stephaniewilliamson@pan-uk.org

Editors Notes

• Nationally and globally, Pesticide Action Network promotes safer alternatives to pesticides, the production of healthy food, and sustainable farming. For further information, see www.pan-uk.org
• Paraquat is a quartenary nitrogen herbicide widely used for broadleaf weed control.  It is a quick acting, non-selective compound, that destroys green plant tissue on contact and by translocation within the plant. It is the active ingredient contained in a number of herbicide products including; Gramoxone Extra, Herba-xone, Ortho Weed and Spot Killer, and Sweep.
• Paraquat is highly toxic to animals by all routes of exposure, and is labeled with a DANGER-POISON signal word.  A single large dose administered orally or by injection to animals, can cause excitability and lung congestion, which in some cases leads to convulsions, loss of coordination, and death by respiratory failure.
• Paraquat is exceedingly toxic to humans.  Many cases of illness and/or death have been reported.  The lethal ingestion dose of paraquat in humans is 35 mg/kg.  A maximum of 3.5 mg/hour could be absorbed through the dermal or respiratory route without damage.
• Several chronic effects for humans have been inferred from animal studies including Parkinson’s disease and irreversible lung damage

For further information please visit: www.pan-uk.org and for details on paraquat see: http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Chemical.jsp?Rec_Id=PC33358

PAN UK is part of the international Stop Paraquat Campaign; a coalition of NGOs, trade unions and scientists around the world that are calling for an end to the production and use of paraquat. For more information on the campaign please visit: www.paraquat.ch