The Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers presented its report on ‘Insecticides and Pesticides – Promotion and Development including Safe Usage – Licensing Regime for Insecticides’ on December 19, 2023. Pesticides are broadly of four types: insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and bio-pesticides. Herbicides kill/control the growth of weeds, and have the …
a review of worldwide research on human reproductive disorders related to organochlorines (ocs) indicates that a global ban on the harmful chemicals is a must. ocs are compounds that alter hormonal functions of humans, thereby adversely affecting reproductive organs, and the health of newborns. Some ocs rampantly used are ddt, …
Jasvir Singh Banth, 32, sits surrounded by colourful containers labelled Army, Fighter, Super Fighter, Lethal, Malamaal, Spark, Axe, Arjun, or Rogorin. A small red triangle on the label signifies what the cans contain: poison. Banth's pesticide shop is the only one in a 7-8 kilometre radius. He started in 1995. …
in a landmark judgement, the High Court (hc) of Rajasthan has directed soft drink majors PepsiCo and Coca-Cola to specify ingredients of their products and pesticide levels on their labels. The order applies to all manufacturers of carbonated beverages and soft drinks. It was issued on October 8, 2004, by …
Between Latin America, Middle East and Asia, there are 20,000 tonnes of pesticide poisons waiting to be treated. But the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (fao), which helps clear-up pesticide waste in developing countries, claims that it is running out of cash to tackle the chemical stockpiles. "We are …
An Act to make provision for prevention of adulteration of the food. This Act may be called the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. It extends to the whole of India. It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, …
biologists have known for decades that environmental pollution is adversely affecting animal behaviour worldwide. High levels of pollutants can cause gender-bending effects by altering animals' physiology, particularly their sexual organs. Now, two comprehensive reviews reveal that chemicals have a much greater impact on animal behaviour than earlier understood. Low concentrations …
The occurrence of organochlorine compounds in the food chain has already been reported in several studies. This class of organic compounds constitutes one of the most important groups of dangerous organic contaminants. The environmental contamination by persistent organochlorine pesticide OCPs) residues has been widely documented in several countries, such as …
unique protest: In a potent symbolic gesture equating a dangerous pesticide with the atom bomb, a Quit India Endosulfan march was organised in Kerala on August 6
A report of analysis of pesticide residues in soft drinks conducted by Centre for Science and Environment(CSE), was made public on 5th August, 2003. This Report was covered very prominently by both electronic and print media. In the Report it was stated that CSE found pesticide residues, in the samples …
To produce the food most farmers use chemical pesticides to control weeds, pests and diseases, and to help them meet the appearance standards imposed by supermarkets. Residues from these pesticides may still be in the food when buy it - about half of all fruit and vegetables tested by the …
A curious court action in the UK gave environmentalist group Friends of the Earth (FoE) the right to tell people where to look for information on some pesticides, but not to offer the data on its own. The dispute involves FoE and chemical manufacturer Bayer. In 2000, the former asked …
the French government has banned the use of the pesticide imidacloprid for treating corn seeds. In January 2004, it had extended the suspension on the chemical's use on sunflower seeds for three years. The country's beekeepers have been protesting against the pesticide, alleging that it causes high mortality among bees. …
People in the us, especially children, women and Mexican Americans, carry dangerously high levels of pesticides in their bodies, according to a recent study. Many of these toxic chemicals have serious health effects: cancers, infertility and birth defects. The study also zeroes in on companies responsible for the population's high …
air stinkers: Harmful smog can form inside homes through reactions between air-fresheners and the ozone pollutant, indicates findings of researchers from the US Environmental Protection Agency. The reactions generate formaldehyde, classed as a probable carcinogen, and related compounds that many experts believe are responsible for respiratory problems. touch and infect: …
New Zealand has affirmed that its food items are among the safest in the world. On April 26, the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (nzfsa) released a report on chemical residues in the country's food supply in 2002-2003. The report is based on the results of nzfsa's monitoring of such …
A recent study links exposure to lawn pesticides with bladder cancer in Scottish terriers. Researchers from US-based Purdue University surveyed 83 dogs suffering from the cancer. "As pets tend to spend a fair amount of time in lawns treated with herbicides and insecticides, we checked whether the chemicals were having …
only mother's son: Japanese and Korean scientists have created a mouse without using a sperm. The feat is akin to the birth of Dolly, the world's first cloned mammal. Bees, ants, aphids, some fish and reptiles reproduce without having sex in a process called parthenogenesis. But creating a living mammal …
INDIAN authorities responsible for regulating pesticides have one big obsession: Codex. Officials, from both the ministries of agriculture and health and family welfare, have favoured taking refuge in standards set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). And they are not alone. The Indian industry, and its various associations cannot be …
better chick-pea variety: Scientists from New Delhi-based Indian Agricultural Research Institute have developed a drought-resistant variety of chick-pea. The variety, Pusa-1053, has a yield of about 1,300 kilogrammes per hectare, which is significantly higher than the 700 kilogrammes produced per hectare by the traditional varieties of the seeds. more heat, …
