Australia’s chemical regulator has applied new restrictions to the use of the controversial herbicide paraquat, which has previously been linked to Parkinson’s disease.
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) today handed down the results of its review into the herbicide, determining it could continue to be used safely with “significant” restrictions, including lower application rates.
The regulator said it found “the weight of evidence does not show that paraquat exposure through approved uses increases the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease”.
The decision has been criticised by Australia’s peak body for Parkinson’s Disease, and comes weeks after Australia’s top neurologists said they had been ignored by the chemical regulator.
Farming groups had been concerned the fast-acting weed killer would be banned due to concerns about risks to human health and the environment.
Scott Hansen says the restrictions are driven by acute toxicity risks for people handling the chemicals. (ABC News)
APVMA chief executive Scott Hansen said paraquat and diquat would remain for use with “significant new restrictions” on application rates and permitted uses.
The chemicals are no longer permitted to be used with backpack sprayers, and enclosed mixing and loading systems will be required for all ongoing uses.
“Overall, the maximum rate of application will be 231 grams per hectare, when it was previously 1,150 grams per hectare,” Mr Hansen said.
The APVMA said there was an “unmanageable risk” to birds and mammals foraging in treated areas.
The chemical watchdog received 171 submissions from scientists, doctors, the agricultural industry and other interested parties.
New registration conditions will apply to the labels of all paraquat and diquat products manufactured from today.
‘We’ve failed’
The chemicals have been under review by the APVMA since 1997, and are banned in the European Union, the United Kingdom and China due to their toxicity.
The regulator’s decision has been slammed by peak body Parkinson’s Australia, which said the control measures did not go far enough.
“The APVMA has failed not only farmers who use paraquat, but all the other Australians exposed to it,” said Parkinson’s Australia CEO Olivia Nassaris.
“In the 30 years they’ve been reviewing this chemical, 70 countries around the world have banned it, yet we’ve still got Aussie farmers using it every day. We’re the last to act here, and we’ve failed.”
Olivia Nassaris says the incidence of Parkinson’s is projected to triple by 2050, posing pressure to the health system and economy. (ABC News: Luke Stephenson)
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive, incurable neurological condition that affects movement and can cause stiffness and uncontrollable shaking.
Ms Nassaris said she was convinced that the science proves incidents of Parkinson’s increase with the use of paraquat.
“What I’d like to ask the APVMA from today is, ‘Are the lives of Australians less valuable than the lives of the people living in these 70 countries that have banned paraquat?'”
she said.
The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) said it would consider the detail of the decision and its implications on Australia’s food and fibre production.
“We acknowledge the community concern around paraquat, and it is absolutely critical that the products farmers use are safe for both people and the environment,” said NFF president Hamish McIntyre.
“Paraquat helps support effective weed management and enables practices like no-till farming, which protects soil health, reduces erosion and helps retain moisture.
Hamish McIntyre says the group will look over the regulator’s decision. (Supplied: National Farmers’ Federation)
“These practices are critical as farmers respond to increasingly variable seasons and growing demand for food and fibre.”
South Australian grain grower Mark Modra said he was worried that reducing application rates could lead to greater herbicide resistance.
“That [reduced rate] works on small weeds and is useful for crop topping, but when you’ve got robust weeds, that will be probably half the rate I would need to kill them,” he said.
Mark Modra says lower application rates could lead to greater crop resistance. (ABC News: Brooke Neindorf)
“It’s a little bit like using antibiotics at half rates.”
Mr McIntyre said farmers would rely on the advice of independent regulators.
“We are not scientists, but we have a responsibility to follow the rules, use products correctly, and continually improve practices as new information becomes available,”
he said.
Victory claimed
Grain Producers Australia (GPA) labelled the decision a “victory for science-based regulation”.
GPA spokesperson Andrew Weidemann praised the chemical regulator, and said the decision was a positive outcome for grain producers.
However, neurologist David Blacker, who has Parkinson’s disease, said the data on paraquat was overwhelming.
“Like myself, people who grew up on farms and live around places like golf courses that are using paraquat aren’t safe,”
he said.
A number of crop use cases have been removed from product labelling as a result of the chemical watchdog’s findings.
Syngenta, the main manufacturer of paraquat in Australia, said it was assessing the impact of the decision on its “product portfolio”.
“Syngenta is committed to working with growers, distributors and industry bodies to ensure the changes to label instructions are clearly understood and that any transition is managed responsibly,” a company spokesperson said.
Existing paraquat stock will be phased out over a two-year period.
