#BanParaquat Ban the pesticide paraquat in India.
The Issue
Mr. Jiban was a 42-year-old family man who was a father of two daughters. He had recently lost his job. One Monday evening he presented to the emergency department with an alleged history of consumption of just around 100 ml of a herbicide called paraquat.
Following ingestion, he developed multiple episodes of nonbilious, nonprojectile vomiting and nonblood stained loose stools. On admission, the patient was found to have elevated creatinine (2.25 mg%) and decreased urine output, his kidneys were shutting down. Over the next 24 h, kidney function worsened further (creatinine: 7.74 mg%), and the patient developed metabolic acidosis and hyperkalemia. He also had liver dysfunction with progressively worsening hyperbilirubinemia and transaminitis. Gastroscopy was done which showed esophageal and gastric mucosal erosions. Myocardial involvement was ruled out with serial electrocardiography and troponin T estimation.
In the ward, he was started on broad-spectrum antibiotics in view of raised counts and due to suspicion of aspiration pneumonia. He was also started on antioxidant therapy and was given first of three doses of intravenous methylprednisolone. Subsequently, he was planned for HD. While undergoing HD, he had developed worsening respiratory distress with sudden cardiac arrest. He was intubated and managed further in the high-dependency unit. In spite of continued treatment with dialysis and immunosuppressive therapy, he succumbed to the poison.
Paraquat (1,1′-Dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridinium dichloride) is a nonselective contact herbicide discovered in 1955. Poisoning due to this herbicide is a major health problem in South East Asia. It is rapid-acting and kills plants by translocation into the cells on contact. It is deactivated on contact with clay in the soil. It is lethal to humans and many animals. The high lethality is due to its inherent toxicity and current lack of effective treatment. Due to its lethality, it has been withdrawn from the European Union since 2007
After rapid absorption, paraquat is concentrated inside many cells where it undergoes redox cycling. Clinical features are largely due to intracellular effects. Paraquat is actively concentrated in lung tissue leading to pneumonitis and lung fibrosis. Paraquat also causes gastrointestinal, renal, and liver injuries.
The biggest tragedy is, There’s no antidote to paraquat herbicide.
We, the doctors in India, have seen almost all (99 percent) patients of paraquat poisoning (incidental or suicide ingestion) die. According to medical literature too, it is a highly lethal herbicide. So we request the government to take the necessary steps to ban it.
It is banned in all over European Union, Srilanka, and in total 32 countries including Switzerland, where herbicide-producing company Sygenta is based.
Kindly sign this petition to STOP this evil from killing any more human.
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The Issue
Mr. Jiban was a 42-year-old family man who was a father of two daughters. He had recently lost his job. One Monday evening he presented to the emergency department with an alleged history of consumption of just around 100 ml of a herbicide called paraquat.
Following ingestion, he developed multiple episodes of nonbilious, nonprojectile vomiting and nonblood stained loose stools. On admission, the patient was found to have elevated creatinine (2.25 mg%) and decreased urine output, his kidneys were shutting down. Over the next 24 h, kidney function worsened further (creatinine: 7.74 mg%), and the patient developed metabolic acidosis and hyperkalemia. He also had liver dysfunction with progressively worsening hyperbilirubinemia and transaminitis. Gastroscopy was done which showed esophageal and gastric mucosal erosions. Myocardial involvement was ruled out with serial electrocardiography and troponin T estimation.
In the ward, he was started on broad-spectrum antibiotics in view of raised counts and due to suspicion of aspiration pneumonia. He was also started on antioxidant therapy and was given first of three doses of intravenous methylprednisolone. Subsequently, he was planned for HD. While undergoing HD, he had developed worsening respiratory distress with sudden cardiac arrest. He was intubated and managed further in the high-dependency unit. In spite of continued treatment with dialysis and immunosuppressive therapy, he succumbed to the poison.
Paraquat (1,1′-Dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridinium dichloride) is a nonselective contact herbicide discovered in 1955. Poisoning due to this herbicide is a major health problem in South East Asia. It is rapid-acting and kills plants by translocation into the cells on contact. It is deactivated on contact with clay in the soil. It is lethal to humans and many animals. The high lethality is due to its inherent toxicity and current lack of effective treatment. Due to its lethality, it has been withdrawn from the European Union since 2007
After rapid absorption, paraquat is concentrated inside many cells where it undergoes redox cycling. Clinical features are largely due to intracellular effects. Paraquat is actively concentrated in lung tissue leading to pneumonitis and lung fibrosis. Paraquat also causes gastrointestinal, renal, and liver injuries.
The biggest tragedy is, There’s no antidote to paraquat herbicide.
We, the doctors in India, have seen almost all (99 percent) patients of paraquat poisoning (incidental or suicide ingestion) die. According to medical literature too, it is a highly lethal herbicide. So we request the government to take the necessary steps to ban it.
It is banned in all over European Union, Srilanka, and in total 32 countries including Switzerland, where herbicide-producing company Sygenta is based.
Kindly sign this petition to STOP this evil from killing any more human.
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Petition created on 14 October 2020