Paraquat (PQ) is an organic herbicide introduced to the commercial market in 1962 and since linked to a variety of human health effects, including lung fibrosis, liver tumors, and Parkinson’s disease. Although PQ is banned in the European Union, it is still frequently used in agricultural areas of the United States and Asia. The general mechanism of PQ’s toxicity is the disruption of the redox cycle in cells. This mini-review summarizes our current understanding of PQ toxicity in non-target plants and animals. Among vertebrates, PQ sensitivity tends follow the pattern of fish > amphibians > mammals > birds. Aquatic plants are particularly vulnerable to PQ, with EC₅₀ values ranging from ~28–280 μg/L. A number of convenient but non-specific biomarkers have been identified for non-target species, including the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase, histological changes in the gill structures of fish, and the upregulation of genes associated with the cytochrome p450 monooxygenase system. Significant literature gaps include a lack of data for environmentally realistic conditions (i.e., chronic, low concentration, multi-stressor), toxicity in reptiles, and population- and ecosystem-level effects. Although PQ is a useful herbicide, considering the many human and ecological health impacts, it may be time for regulators and the agricultural industry to reconsider its use.

百草枯 (PQ) 是一种有机除草剂，于 1962 年引入商业市场，自此与多种人类健康影响相关，包括肺纤维化、肝肿瘤和帕金森病。尽管PQ在欧盟被禁止，但在美国和亚洲的农业地区仍然经常使用。PQ 毒性的一般机制是破坏细胞内的氧化还原循环。这篇小综述总结了我们目前对非目标动植物 PQ 毒性的理解。在脊椎动物中，PQ敏感性往往遵循鱼类>两栖动物>哺乳动物>鸟类的模式。水生植物特别容易受到 PQ 的影响，EC ₅₀值范围为 ~28–280 μg/L。已针对非目标物种鉴定出许多方便但非特异性的生物标志物，包括抗氧化酶（如超氧化物歧化酶和过氧化氢酶）的活性、鱼鳃结构的组织学变化以及与细胞色素 p450 相关的基因的上调单加氧酶系统。重大的文献差距包括缺乏有关环境现实条件（即慢性、低浓度、多重应激）、爬行动物毒性以及种群和生态系统水平影响的数据。尽管 PQ 是一种有用的除草剂，但考虑到对人类和生态健康的许多影响，监管机构和农业行业可能是时候重新考虑其使用了。