Lawsuit Alleges Syngenta Failed to Warn of Atrazine Cancer Risks
A lawsuit alleges Syngenta did not adequately warn about the cancer risks associated with using atrazine-based herbicides. The legal action seeks damages for cancer allegedly caused by exposure.
Wisner Baum LLP has filed a lawsuit against Syngenta, alleging that decades of exposure to atrazine-based herbicides led to a California resident, Apostolos Panayiotou, developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The suit follows a 2025 evaluation by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) that classified atrazine as probably carcinogenic to humans.
The complaint states Panayiotou mixed, loaded, sprayed, and applied atrazine products in Los Angeles County over a thirty-year period. The lawsuit alleges Syngenta designed and sold products that exposed users to cancer risks, failing to warn outside of federally approved product labels in its advertising, training, and sales communications.
"People deserve to know whether the products they use to do their jobs could put their health at risk," said Timothy A. Loranger, a senior partner at Wisner Baum. "Syngenta had information these workers needed to protect themselves, and it failed to share it."
The complaint names Syngenta AG and Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC as defendants. Panayiotou is seeking compensation for his injuries and losses, including physical pain, emotional distress, medical expenses, and lost income. The lawsuit also challenges Syngenta's product design and conduct, alleging the company engaged in efforts to shape and suppress scientific findings on atrazine.
Atrazine has been classified as a probable human carcinogen. The European Union banned atrazine in 2004, and it is not permitted for general agricultural use in Switzerland, where Syngenta AG is headquartered.