The EPA is issuing a draft human health risk assessment for the agricultural weedkiller paraquat, which European Union states have outlawed because of its toxicity.
The Environmental Protection Agency cited “no aggregate risks of concern” for the herbicide in a Federal Register notice to be published Oct. 16.
Paraquat is a common agricultural weedkiller, produced primarily by Syngenta AG, that was first registered for use in the U.S. in 1964.
The chemical is so toxic that a single sip can be fatal, which is why it has been linked to thousands of suicides and accidental deaths globally.
EU states have ...