Australian neurologists claim regulator ignored them on weed killer review

Dozens of Australia's leading neurologists and movement disorder specialists say the national chemical regulator has failed to consult them on a controversial weed killer. They fear the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) is overlooking crucial evidence linking the herbicide paraquat to Parkinson's disease.

“

I've heard nothing from the APVMA.

Associate Professor Wesley Thevathasan, a Melbourne-based neurologist and Parkinson's specialist, stated that he and other experts submitted their findings during the APVMA's public consultation period but received no follow-up. "I've heard nothing from the APVMA," Thevathasan said. He noted that numerous scientific bodies and leading minds interested in Parkinson's disease also made submissions, none of whom, to his knowledge, have been contacted by the regulator.

“

We put in submissions, myself, other scientific bodies, groups of neurologists, some of the leading scientific minds and organisations in Australia who have interest in Parkinson's disease, and as far as I know, none of us have been contacted by the APVMA.

Paraquat and diquat are fast-acting herbicides essential for weed control, according to farming groups. However, these chemicals are banned in the European Union, the UK, and China due to their toxicity. The APVMA's 2024 proposed regulatory decision stated that "the available epidemiology data is insufficient to conclude any association between paraquat exposure and neurotoxicity (including Parkinson's disease) in the occupational environment." This stance directly contradicts what Thevathasan described as the "global consensus" among specialists: that paraquat exposure is strongly linked to the later development of Parkinson's disease.

“

the available epidemiology data is insufficient to conclude any association between paraquat exposure and neurotoxicity (including Parkinson's disease) in the occupational environment.

Thevathasan argued that the APVMA's evidence base gives "almost no weight" to recent human studies. "There are now multiple epidemiological studies or real-world exposure studies that have suggested that paraquat increases the risk of Parkinson's disease by around threefold," he explained. Parkinson's disease is a progressive, incurable neurological condition affecting movement. More than 70 medical experts and clinicians across Australia have also submitted concerns, highlighting evidence that links paraquat to the disease.

“

There are now multiple epidemiological studies or real-world exposure studies that have suggested that paraquat increases the risk of Parkinson's disease by around threefold.