27
Jun
Wide Use of Paraquat in Suicides Adds to Herbicide’s Threats and Call for Ban
(Beyond Pesticides, June 27, 2025) An article in The New York Times (NYT), entitled “A Killer Within Easy Reach,” highlights the use of the weed killer paraquat, a widely used herbicide in the U.S. and many other parts of the world despite being banned in over 70 countries, as the cause of numerous suicides. The article references the tiny nation of Suriname, located on the northeastern coast of South America, as they have “one of the highest suicide rates in the world,” with the majority of those deaths involving paraquat. Globally, paraquat is prevalently used in self-harm incidents. The chemical, when absorbed into the body, among other deadly effects, causes pulmonary fibrosis, making lung tissue brittle and causing respiratory failure.
While this pesticide is intended and generally used for weed control, it is also highly lethal to humans in small amounts and is often easily accessible in many households. As the NYT article states, “Pesticides are among the leading means of suicide in agricultural areas of developing nations, implicated in more than 100,000 deaths annually.” Citing examples from around the world, the article states, “Sri Lanka’s crop yields had surged after the introduction of modern fertilizers and pesticides in the 1960s, but… the suicide rate had increased fivefold as well.” This connection was further emphasized when the Sri Lankan government outlawed paraquat; the suicide rate fell by more than 70 percent. The article also highlights South Korea, “where restrictions and then a ban on paraquat cut suicide mortality in half.”
Beyond Pesticides has noted a University of South Australia study, which cites the frequency of deliberate pesticide ingestion. Of the 34,902 patients (age 11 and up) with possible or known self-poisonings from nine hospitals in rural Sri Lanka, the highest fatalities occur with paraquat ingestion, representing 41.8% of the deaths. The accessibility of toxic chemicals, such as paraquat, within households and communities exponentially increases the threat they pose to human health.
The use of pesticides in self-poisoning, particularly in developing nations, warrants more than just household security measures. It requires the removal of highly toxic pesticides from the market, as noted in a previous Daily News article. By encouraging a transition to safer organic practices and implementing restrictions on imports containing toxic pesticides, developed countries like the U.S. can assist in reducing suicide rates.
“A worldwide ban on the use of highly hazardous pesticides is likely to prevent tens of thousands of deaths every year,” says Professor of Epidemiology David Gunnell, PhD, of the University of Bristol, UK, to the Daily Star. This is echoed in the NYT article, as the author says researchers and philanthropists are “arguing that restricting access to the most lethal pesticides could be one of the simplest, most cost-effective ways to save lives.”
It is also noted in the article that paraquat is one of the deadliest pesticides still on the market and is used for suicide by many residents in Suriname due to being a cheap, widely available weed control product. In turning to this chemical as a means of committing suicide, it is “quickly absorbed by the body and has no antidote,” the article says. “Even a small dose causes multi-organ failure, though death may take hours or days.”
A wide body of science showcases paraquat’s effects on human health and the environment. From cancer to reproductive dysfunction and neurotoxicity to toxic effects in aquatic organisms, this herbicide causes deleterious impacts. In particular, paraquat is linked to Parkinson’s Disease. As covered in the Daily News (see here and here), Syngenta, one of the main producers of manufacturing paraquat-based and other pesticide products linked to neurodegenerative outcomes, was forced to settle over 5,000 pending lawsuits claiming paraquat caused their Parkinson’s Disease. (See additional Daily News coverage on paraquat here.)
Recent scientific literature on this herbicide states that: “Paraquat (PQ) poisoning is a life-threatening condition with a high-mortality rate. As it lacks a specific antidote, treatment is mainly supportive, focusing on reducing oxidative damage and organ dysfunction.” The researchers continue, saying: “PQ toxicity causes oxidative stress, resulting in rapid progression to multiorgan failure… This oxidative stress leads to extensive tissue damage, including lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). These processes contribute to pulmonary fibrosis, nephrotoxicity [kidney damage], hepatotoxicity [liver damage], and acute toxin-induced pancreatitis.”
Another study in Frontiers in Public Health shows the prevalence of pesticide poisoning in China, specifically in Quzhou city, Zhejiang Province, where 2,368 cases were reported from 2015 to 2022. The researchers report: “A total of 280 patients died, for a case fatality of 11.82%. Among the patients, 1,281 were male and 1,087 were female; the fatality was significantly greater in males (13.35%) than in females (10.03%)… Among those in the non-occupational pesticide poisoning group, 213 patients died from suicide, with the highest fatality of 15.07%.” Paraquat was found to have the highest number of fatalities resulting from acute effects.
The study findings also show that: “Overall, the fatality of herbicides (15.21%) was higher than that of insecticides (12.34%). This result was consistent with other studies, which indicated that certain herbicides have higher lethality. Among them, paraquat had a particularly significant fatality rate of 31.82%. This fact highlights the necessity for stricter regulation of the use of paraquat.”
Additional research, published early this year in PLOS Global Public Health, concludes that limiting access to highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) is successful in preventing suicides. As such, the authors say this should “provide strong evidence to governments and public health officials that are considering implementing bans on HHPs in order to reduce suicides.”
Beyond Pesticides, however, urges that amid many regulatory deficiencies, taking this matter a step further is critical. The answer to not only eliminating the role of pesticides in suicides, but to all negative health and environmental effects from these chemicals lies in a holistic, systems-based solution. As opposed to perpetuating the pesticide treadmill, transitioning to organic land management practices, both in agriculture as well as in homes, gardens, and public parks, offers a safer alternative.
The World Health Organization (WHO) finds that more than 720,000 people die due to suicide each year, with even more suicide attempts. Of these suicides, 73% occur in low- and middle-income countries, which are already at a disproportionate risk for pesticide exposure. Eliminating the use of petrochemical pesticides plays an essential role in decreasing the rates of suicide, as supported by the science.
With that in mind, buying organic and taking action in your community can contribute to a system that respects the natural environment and human health. Learn more about the benefits of organic here and here. Stay up to date on the latest science and policy news regarding pesticides with the Daily News Blog and sign up here to receive Action of the Week and Weekly News Updates delivered straight to your inbox!
Mental health matters. If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), 988 Lifeline, or 911 immediately.
All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.
Sources:
Alcorn, T. (2025) A Killer Within Easy Reach, The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/10/health/paraquat-pesticides-suicide-suriname.html.
Barma, A. et al. (2025) Fatal paraquat poisoning: a case report and literature review on rapid deterioration and therapeutic challenges, Annals of Medicine & Surgery. Available at: https://journals.lww.com/annals-of-medicine-and-surgery/fulltext/2025/04000/fatal_paraquat_poisoning__a_case_report_and.82.aspx.
Rubbo, B. et al. (2025) Preventing suicide by restricting access to Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs): A systematic review of international evidence since 2017, PLOS Global Public Health. Available at: https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pgph.0003785.
Zheng, X. et al. (2025) Epidemiological analysis of 2,368 pesticide poisoning patients in Quzhou City, China, Frontiers in Public Health. Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1587271/full.
