From Bad to Worse
If you’ve been following Topic Nomad for any amount of time, you know I’ve already done a few deep dives into Glyphosate and it’s dangers.
I’ve tracked the lawsuits.
I’ve followed the EPA's dithering.
I’ve called out Bayer-Monsanto's slow, quiet admission that the world’s most-used herbicide is a chemical time bomb—linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, infertility, and microbiome annihilation.
In multiple articles, I’ve laid bare how glyphosate doesn’t just kill weeds—it decimates the ecosystems in our soil, our water, and even inside our bodies.
And after all that?
After hundreds of thousands of lawsuits and a mountain of global studies labeling glyphosate a "probable human carcinogen," what did the chemical giants do?
They pivoted.
Not to something safer.
Not to something tested more thoroughly.
But to something even more toxic.
Meet Diquat—
The chemical substitute now being pumped into your parks, your food supply, and your backyard like it's totally okay.
Spoiler: It’s not.
Diquat: The Devil You Don’t Know
Diquat dibromide is now in dozens of herbicide blends, including new glyphosate-free versions of Roundup. It's being used across orchards, vineyards, citrus crops, and public spaces in the U.S.
But here's what most Americans don't know:
🔬 Diquat is more acutely and chronically toxic than glyphosate.
Diquat is ~46x more acutely toxic than glyphosate.
Friends of the Earth (2023) analysis: Diquat may be ~200x more toxic with long-term exposure.
A Neurotoxin in Your Backyard
Diquat causes the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that destroy dopamine-producing neurons—the same kind of damage seen in Parkinson’s disease.
Researchers literally use diquat in labs to simulate Parkinson’s in animal testing. (Cue Batty Coda from Ferngully)
Glyphosate, while dangerous in different ways, isn’t even in the same league when it comes to neurodegeneration risk.
Gut Damage…
Organ Death…
Microbiome Meltdown…
Like glyphosate, diquat harms gut flora. But worse:
Causes direct damage to gut lining (Shen et al., 2018)
Destroys liver/kidney function through oxidative stress
Impairs mitochondrial function
In short: it doesn't just kill weeds—it targets you at your cellular core.
The Rest of the World Already Knows
European Food Safety Authority: "No level of diquat exposure is considered safe."
And yet... the U.S. EPA shrugs.
Bayer’s Dirty Timeline
—2018—
Bayer acquired Monsanto. Inherits 10,000+ glyphosate lawsuits. Public outcry begins.
—2019—
Jury awards $2B to glyphosate cancer plaintiffs. Bayer stock plummets. Legal risk escalates.
—2020—
Bayer announces it will "reformulate" Roundup in the U.S.
—2021–22—
Releases new Roundup formulas using diquat dibromide. No health disclosures.
—2023—
Friends of the Earth and others blow the whistle: Diquat is even worse. Bayer shrugs.
—2024–25—
EPA renews diquat registration. Despite mounting international bans, the U.S. remains a dumping ground.
Diquat’s Environmental Body Count
Water Contamination
Diquat is highly water-soluble.
Binds to sediment, persists for years (up to 1,000 days).
Enters rivers, lakes, and drinking water during runoff events.
Soil Sterilization
Kills mycorrhizal fungi, earthworms, and nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Leads to long-term infertility of farmland.
Aquatic Life
Causes fish gill damage, reproductive failure, and amphibian mortality.
Settles in sediment and builds up in food chains.
Pollinators
Kills flowering vegetation, disrupts food sources for bees and butterflies.
In Missouri, runoff after storms sends diquat straight into reservoirs, rivers, and lake sediment—especially Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock, and Truman Lake.
Human Exposure:
Farmworkers
Daily exposure through skin and lungs.
Linked to early-onset Parkinson's, organ failure, lung disease.
PPE is inconsistently provided/ utilized.
Children
Play on treated lawns and fields.
More vulnerable due to body size, still-developing systems.
Linked to behavioral issues, endocrine disruption, cognitive delays.
Rural and Low-Income Communities
Well water contamination with no testing.
Spray zones near schools, trailer parks, and roadside ditches.
No resources for testing, filtering, or relocation.
This isn’t random… It’s policy. And it’s preventable.
From Roundup to Runoff
This was never about making Roundup safer.
It was about protecting Bayer's bottom line.
They replaced one toxic chemical with another even more dangerous, banking on public ignorance and regulatory inertia.
Glyphosate got the headlines.
Diquat got the market share.
And now it’s seeping into our lakes, sediment, wells, and children.
This wasn’t a course correction. It was a calculated pivot masquerading as progress.
What You Can Do
1. Demand Local Bans
Ask your school board, city council, and county: What are you spraying?
Demand diquat-free parks, lakes, and public spaces.
2. Protect Your Home
Test your well water or install reverse osmosis filtration.
Avoid glyphosate-free weedkillers unless you know what’s inside.
3. Expose the Swap
Share this report.
Tell your neighbors.
Ask your lawn service what they're using.
LOVED how thorough you were on this and the timeline was fantastic. I just wrote a piece on diquat as well and was so pleased this showed up in my feed! Demanding local bans is such a huge step.