Paraquat

CAS Number: 4685-14-7

SERIOUS
health hazard

MODERATE
health hazard

FEW OR NO
health hazards

0 79

80 89

90 100

Sources of exposure:

Food

Environmental pollution (water), occupational exposure

Description:

Paraquat is a highly toxic, fast-acting herbicide used in non-selective weed control for agricultural crops. Although widely used globally, it is subject to numerous restrictions and bans. Exposure to even small amounts can be fatal, and in the United States only licensed and certified applicators are permitted to purchase and use paraquat.

Health concerns:

Organ System Toxicity

May cause organ damage and disease.

Irritant

May cause skin, eye, or respiratory irritation.

Ecotoxicity

May be toxic to ecosystems and wildlife.

Banned/restricted lists:

EU Commission Directive 2003/112/EC

References

HOW MILLION MARKER SCORES CHEMICALS

Million Marker's Ingredient Hazard Scoring uses multiple chemical databases and a science-backed scoring system to compute hazard scores for thousands of chemicals found in consumer products and listed on ingredient labels.

We identified key chemicals based on a database compiling dozens of authoritative sources, screening tools, and QSAR models.

Hazard scores within 11 different health categories (carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, reproductive toxicants, developmental toxicants, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, organ system toxicity, immunotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, skin/eye/respiratory irritants, and ecotoxicity).

They are weighted based on several factors, including strength of evidence for adverse impacts in humans, severity, and potential contamination.