# A high school lineman fights paraquat poisoning

> A Mississippi junior offensive lineman is in a Houston hospital after accidental exposure to one of the deadliest herbicides on earth.
- Title: A high school lineman fights paraquat poisoning | Shortify
- Summary: A Mississippi junior offensive lineman is in a Houston hospital after accidental exposure to one of the deadliest herbicides on earth. Paraquat kills slowly…
- Keywords: paraquat, pesticides, poisoning, mississippi, high school football, news, local, high, school, lineman, fights, Valleynewslive
- Source: Valleynewslive — https://valleynewslive.com/2026/09/12/high-school-football-player-hospitalized-after-exposure-toxic-herbicide
- Published: 2026-09-12T00:46:33.444+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: paraquat, pesticides, poisoning, mississippi, high school football, news, local
## A season spent in hospital
Zach Brown, a junior offensive lineman at Lake Cormorant High School in Mississippi, has spent the start of the football season hospitalized after accidental exposure to paraquat.
## Banned in 70 countries
Paraquat is a restricted-use agricultural herbicide barred in more than 70 countries. Even a small amount, swallowed, can kill.

> It's probably the most toxic herbicide by far
## Rare but often fatal
Mississippi Poison Control puts national paraquat exposures at roughly 100 a year. The mortality rate is high.
## The damage arrives late
The compound hits the kidneys and liver first, then gathers in the lungs weeks after contact. Permanent lung injury is the long-term threat.

> Long-term, the biggest issue is injury to the lungs, like permanent lung injury, which can necessitate lung transplantation
## Now facing a transplant
Brown has moved from Le Bonheur to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, where loved ones say he is being evaluated for a lung transplant.
## A town rallies
Head coach Nick Nester's wife helped the family launch a GoFundMe. Nester says the last few days have looked more positive, though Brown is not in the clear.

> He's a first-class kid. He's very humble, very quiet. Just a hardworking kid
## Key takeaway

Paraquat kills slowly and quietly: it wrecks the kidneys and liver first, then settles in the lungs weeks later, which is why a small accidental exposure can still end in a transplant evaluation.