Along with a pesticide known as Rotenone, Paraquat is routinely used to induce Parkinson's disease for studies in animals, according to the Parkinson's Foundation. The Foundation has repeatedly called for its ban in the United States based on strong scientific links between Paraquat and Parkinson's disease.

Research shows that paraquat greatly increases the risk of a person developing Parkinson's disease. Ongoing exposure to paraquat also can damage brain cells and lead to heart failure, kidney failure, liver failure and lung scarring.

A consensus exists in the scientific community that the available evidence does not warrant a claim that paraquat causes Parkinson's disease.

What should people with Parkinson's know about Paraquat? Paraquat is an herbicide that has been linked to Parkinson's. It is a widely used commercial herbicide in the U.S. that is banned in 32 countries, including the European Union and China.

Recently, researchers analyzed hundreds of common pesticides for their link with Parkinson's disease. Ten pesticides were directly linked to toxicity and death of dopaminergic neurons - one of the hallmarks of Parkinson's disease. The study was published in Nature Communications .

If a person survives the toxic effects of paraquat poisoning, long-term lung damage (scarring) is highly likely. Other long-term effects may also occur, including kidney failure, heart failure, and esophageal strictures (scarring of the swallowing tube that makes it hard for a person to swallow).

While genetics is thought to play a role in Parkinson's, in most cases the disease does not seem to run in families. Many researchers now believe that Parkinson's results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors, such as exposure to toxins.

While Roundup may be an effective herbicide, it's been shown to be extremely dangerous, and one of its key ingredients, glyphosate, is linked to Parkinson's disease.

Paraquat, when ingested, is extremely toxic. It causes a spectrum of complications including acute respiratory distress syndrome, renal failure, hepatotoxicity, and pulmonary fibrosis. The clinical course in paraquat poisoning is often protracted and there is no known antidote for this toxin.

Paraquat causes direct damage when it comes into contact with the lining of the mouth, stomach, or intestines. After paraquat enters the body, it is distributed to all areas of the body. Paraquat causes toxic chemical reactions to occur throughout many parts of the body, primarily the lungs, liver, and kidneys.

While genetics is thought to play a role in Parkinson's, in most cases the disease does not seem to run in families. Many researchers now believe that Parkinson's results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors, such as exposure to toxins.

Researchers identify 10 pesticides toxic to neurons involved in Parkinson's. Researchers at UCLA Health and Harvard have identified 10 pesticides that significantly damaged neurons implicated in the development of Parkinson's disease, providing new clues about environmental toxins' role in the disease.