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Australia's leading advocate on Parkinson's disease is calling for a ban on a widely-used chemical because of growing evidence about its risk to farmers.
Parkinson's Australia (PA) announced on Wednesday it supports a ban on the herbicide paraquat, citing "scientific evidence linking the chemical to the development of Parkinson's disease".
"Despite its known dangers, paraquat remains in use in Australia, posing a serious health risk to farmers, agricultural workers, and the general public," it says in a statement.
The organisation has also launched a public petition.
"Research has consistently demonstrated the connection between paraquat exposure and Parkinson’s disease," it says.
"The chemical's toxicity is so severe that even minimal exposure can have devastating effects."
Parkinson's disease is an incurable progressive, degenerative neurological condition that affects a person's movement and is now the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disease in the world
The announcement comes after the ABC revealed a leaked email from the National Farmers Federation head office, calling on its members to avoid discussion of an ABC Landline program that investigated the link between paraquat and Parkinson's disease
The story revealed a cluster of Parkinson's disease cases in a Victorian farming community amid a growing number of independent studies linking paraquat to the incurable neurodegenerative condition.
The global agricultural chemical giant Syngenta is the original manufacturer, and maintains the chemical does not cause Parkinson's.
In its latest draft review, the country's chemical regulator, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), said:
"Taking into consideration the available database of animal studies, including all studies carried out to OECD guidelines, the overwhelming weight-of-evidence, is that paraquat does not induce neurotoxicity via the oral, dermal or intranasal exposure routes; routes that are of relevance to human exposure to this pesticide."
As Australian farmers have adopted zero-till farming, they have relied more on chemicals to control weeds. (Clint Jasper)
Paraquat and the related diquat, are fast-acting, non-selective herbicides that will kill most plants on contact.
Farmers' groups say it is an important tool and critical for managing weeds, maintaining soil moisture, and growing food.
Paraquat and diquat have been under review since 1997, and last month the APVMA released a draft recommendation.
But Parkinson's Australia says the recommendation does not go far enough.
"Recent proposals suggest stricter regulations, but a complete ban is necessary to ensure public safety," the advocacy group says.
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